With their playoff hopes on the line, the Ottawa 67’s battle back from two three-goal deficits only to lose a 7-6 heartbreaker to the Owen Sound Attack in overtime.
Far too common
this season, the 67’s had a bad start to the game. Only able to muster 5 shots on net, the 67’s
found themselves unable to stabilize any consistent puck possession. Philippe
Trudeau had to be sharp, but once Attack captain Zach Nastasiuk drew first blood, the floodgates opened up. The Attack combined for 3 goals on 15 shots in
3 minutes late in the opening frame.
“It's a lot of
heat in [the room] right now. Everyone's pretty tense. So, we are just looking to have some fun in
these next two periods and work really hard and hopefully outcome will come in
our favour,“ said Jacob Middleton who’s
playing his first game back in Owen Sound since being traded last season.
Unfortunately
for Middleton and the 67’s, the second period didn’t start much better. Holden
Cook scored his team leading 27th goal of the season at the 3:12 mark for
the Attack’s second powerplay goal of the game.
Just over five
minutes later marks the first 67’s comeback of the game. Kicked off by Dante Salituro, the 67’s scored three unanswered goals in less than
four minutes (other goals from Travis
Konecny and Brendan Bell) to get
the 67’s within one.
Continuing with
the craziness of the second period, the Attack would regain their three goal
lead with goals from Nastasiuk (second of the game) and Kurtis Gabriel. The Attack
led 6-3 after 40 minutes.
Jonathan Duchesne set off the next 67’s comeback after
converting on the 67’s second powerplay of the game. Brendan Bell added his second midway through
the period while Nevin Guy tied the
game at 6 with only 9 seconds left on the clock and sent the game to overtime.
The game ended
as quickly as it was tied. Attack
captain Zach Nastasiuk scored his third of the game at the 0:33 mark in the
extra frame to lead the Attack to a 7-6 victory. Natasiuk battled Duchesne from the halfboards
to the front net, made a nice spin-move to shoot the puck beating Philippe
Trudeau top shelf.
“We want
any game we can right now going into the playoffs and we want to get
better every game. I think we were intense to get the win today,” the RedWings
prospect, Nastasiuk told Rogers TV.
A character
comeback but not the outcome the 67’s wanted.
While they gained a point, the point they lost proves to be costly with
the Niagara IceDogs defeating the North Bay Battalion earlier this afternoon.
“Really we just
look to win as many games and get as many points as we can. We are fighting, we
are in a battle with those two teams (Mississauga & Niagara) and we control
our destiny at this point so we're just looking to make the most of it.”
The 67’s are now
one point out of a playoff spot behind Niagara and Mississauga. After spending 10 of the last 11 games on the
road, the 67’s return to Ottawa to host the Mississauga Steelheads Tuesday
night. It will be expected to feel like
a playoff game as it is a very important game for both clubs.
Game sheet here.
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