67's Blow Out Short-Staffed Petes

While it may be a problem most nights that the Ottawa 67’s don’t have a defenceman over the age of 18 after the injury to Mike Vlajkov, experience wasn’t a problem on Thursday night in Peterborough, as the Barberpoles took advantage of three Peterborough veterans sitting out, rolling to an 8-1 win.

Captain Connor Boland, assistant captain Stephen Pierog and three-year veteran Stephen Nosad were all suspended before puck drop by the host squad for curfew violations, an incident that helped Ottawa take their first road victory of the year.

Philippe Trudeau made 34 saves to preserve the victory, bringing his record in an Ottawa uniform back to .500.

Travis Konecny scored 50 seconds into the game, while Connor Brown and Brendan Bell scored in the next eight minutes to chase starter Andrew D’Agostini. 

Michael Giugovaz, who fared well against the 67’s last year, was unable to weather the storm.  Konecny added a second goal before the halfway mark of the first period to open up a four-goal advantage.

Ryan Van Stralen scored in the second after Peterborough got on the board, while Brett Gustavsen and Dante Salituro added even strength markers in the third. Joseph Blandisi put up his fourth point of the night with a shorthanded penalty shot goal.

The 67’s take on Kingston at home on Tuesday before heading back to Peterborough to take on their division rivals again.

Game sheet can be found here.

Assorted Notes:

• Newcomer Owen Stewart played most of his shifts with Jonathan Duchesne tonight.  
• After that top shutdown duo, Alex Lintuniemi played with Nevin Guy, who brings a similar game to his usual partner in Adrian Sloboda.  Ryan Duhaime, acquired earlier in the day by Ottawa, was given a lot of rest.  He played a few shifts on the night, most of which with Jake Middleton.
• Ottawa picked up Stewart and Duhaime not just as placeholders, but to make the defence a bit tougher.  Fittingly, a couple of the 67's goals were from soft plays in front of the net by the Petes blueliners.  Having the tougher defence played dividends tonight.
• Blandisi, Salituro and Konecny stole the show, but Brown may have had his best game of the year.  With a goal and a partial breakaway, if everyone put in the same effort as him, Ottawa would be unstoppable.