GAME DAY: 67's host crucial playoff implicating game against the Steelheads

With 6 spots claimed for the Eastern Conference post-season already, it leaves a dog fight between 4 teams for the final 2 spots.  One point seperates 7th and 9th position while 10th is just 5 points behind.  The Mississauga Steelheads are currently sitting in 7th place, one point up on the 67’s through 62 games each.

This factor tied in with playing host to the “exceptional status” Sean Day and it being the third final home game of the regular season sets up to be the 67’s most important game thus far this season.

Both teams are in similar positions, both have 6 games remaining including 3 at home and 3 on the road.  Home ice is an advantage for Mississauga while the 67’s have been equally successful on the road as they have been at home.  Both teams have games left only against Eastern Conference opponents including Kingston, Niagara and North Bay.

OTTAWA

vs Mississauga  - Ottawa’s record:  2-1-0-0

at Peterborough  - Ottawa’s record:  4-3-0-0

vs Kingston  - Ottawa’s record:  0-5-0-1

vs Barrie  - Ottawa’s record:  0-3-0-0

at Kingston  - Ottawa’s record:  0-5-0-1

at North Bay  - Ottawa’s record:  2-1-0-0

MISSISSAUGA

at Ottawa  - Mississauga’s record:  1-2-0-0

vs North Bay  - Mississauga’s record:  0-4-0-1

at Kingston   - Mississauga’s record:  0-2-0-0

at Niagara  - Mississauga’s record:  4-1-0-1

vs Niagara  - Mississauga’s record:  4-1-0-1

vs Kingston  - Mississauga’s record:  0-2-0-0

2013-14 Regular Season Record

Ottawa 67's: 22-35-2-3 (GF: 207 / GA: 271), 9th in the East

Mississauga Steelheads: 23-35-1-3 (GF: 153 / GA: 243), 7th in the East

Leading Scorers

Ottawa 67’s

Erik Bradford – 25 goals, 66 points in 63 games

Travis Konecny – 22 goals, 65 points in 57 games

Ryan Van Stralen – 28 goals, 55 points in 57 games

Mississauga Steelheads

Bryson Cianfrone – 15 goals, 42 points in 59 games

John Burnside – 12 goals, 37 points in 56 games

Andrew Goldberg – 15 goals, 29 points in 54 games

Players To Watch

Ottawa 67's

Jacob Middleton – NHL draft eligible 2014, 87th on NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings

Alex Lintuniemi – NHL draft eligible 2014, was ranked on preliminary rankings

Travis Konecny – 1st overall pick in OHL, NHL draft eligible 2015

Erik Bradford – 8 goals, 19 points in 12 games since being acquired

Mississauga Steelheads

Spencer Martin – drafted in the 3rd round by the Colorado Avalanche in 2013

Stefan LeBlanc – NHL draft eligible 2014, 131st on NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings

Damien Bourne – NHL draft eligible 2014, was ranked on preliminary rankings

Joshua Burnside – NHL draft eligible 2014, was ranked on preliminary rankings

Overagers

Ottawa 67’s: Ryan Van Stralen, Philippe Trudeau

Mississauga Steelheads: Brett Foy

Leadership Squad

Ottawa 67’s: Brendan Bell (C), Taylor Fielding (A), Ryan Van Stralen (A)

Mississauga Steelheads: Brett Foy (C), Bryson Cianfrone (A), Josh Burnside (A)

Potential Scratches

Ottawa 67's: Mike Vlajkov (IR)

Mississauga Steelheads: unknown

*follow us on twitter (@msconduct or @A_Quevillon) for game day scratches

Mississauga Steelheads

Who's Gone?

*Trevor Carrick – traded to the Sudbury Wolves

*Dylan Smoskowitz – traded to the Oshawa Generals

*Ryan Duhaime – traded to the Ottawa 67’s, now playing in CCHL

Eric Diodati – traded to the Windsor Spitfires

Alex Cord – graduated from the OHL

Craig Hottot – graduated from the OHL

Riley Brace – graduated from the OHL, now playing with the Worchester Sharks in AHL

Stuart Percy – now with the Toronto Maple Leafs farm system

Dylan DeMelo – now with the San Jose Sharks farm system

Kristoff Kontos – traded to the Saginaw Spirit

Scott Teskey – traded to the Kitchener Rangers

Tyson Teichmann – traded to the Kitchener Rangers

Thomas Welsh – did not make the team

Who's New?

*Stefan LeBlanc – acquired from the Sudbury Wolves

*Jacob Jammes – acquired from the London Knights

*Cody Thompson – acquired from the Peterborough Petes

Jesse Barwell – 2nd round pick 2013

Austin Gerhart – 2nd round pick 2013

Brandon Belding – signed as a free agent, drafted to Gatineau

Everett Clark – 5th round 2013

Bryson Cianfrone – 3rd round 2011, Brampton

Artem Rasulov – 1st round import 2013

Greg DiTomaso – 8th round 2012

Jared Walsh – 2nd round 2012

Sean Day – 1st round 2013

Ottawa Connections

Brandon Belding – native of Ottawa, last played for Nepean Raiders of CCHL

Spenser Cobbold – native of Stittsville, played for Kanata Stallions in 2010-11 season

James Boyd (coach) – played 1 season with the Ottawa 67's in the 1994-95 season

2013-14 Head-To-Head Stats

Record: 2-1-0-0 for Ottawa (1-2-0-0 for Mississauga)

Combined score: 13-9 for Ottawa

Past game preview:

Oct 8/13 6-3 67’s win in Ottawa

Past game reviews:

Oct 8/13 6-3 67’s win in Ottawa

Jan 24/14 4-3 67’s loss in Mississauga

Feb 9/14 4-2 67’s win in Mississauga

Top scorers

Ottawa 67's

Dante Salituro – 2 goals, 4 assists in 3 games

Erik Bradford – 2 goals, 4 assists in 8 games

Travis Konecny – 3 goals, 2 assists in 3 games

Mississauga Steelheads

Josh Burnside – 2 goals, 2 assists in 2 games

Bryson Cianfrone – 0 goals, 3 assist in 3 games

Andrew Goldberg – 1 goal, 1 assists in 1 game