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February 08, 2015

67's rally back to outshoot Battalion 6-5

Travis Barron scored his 2nd shootout winner to lift the pesky Ottawa 67’s to a 6-5 win over the visiting North Bay Battalion. Overshadowed by the game winner were Dante Salituro and Brendan Bell who combined for 4 goals and 9 points on the night.

"I thought they had a great bounce back game today,” said Brown about the line of Dante Salituro and Brendan Bell who both finished at -4 a couple games ago. “They worked really hard together and it was a good line for us.”
Down 4-1 midway through the second, the 67’s did not give up. Brendan Bell scored the tying goal to make it 4-4 early in the third but the Battalion battled back to regain their one goal lead. With less than two minutes remaining in the game, Bell scored another tying goal that eventually forced overtime, and subsequently, the shootout.
“We stayed positive on the bench. We come out in the second and put our foot down and we don’t stop right down to the shootout,” said associate captain Brendan Bell. “Herbst stood on his head and what a goal by Barron. He’s had two of those, so I think the coach will keep putting him in.”
A poor line change led to the game’s first goal and the 67’s found themselves down 1-0 early in the first period. Miles Liberati picked up his 8th goal of the season. The 67’s started to press and Curtis Meighan would get the 67’s on the board converting on their first power play opportunity of the game.  With the help of their three consecutive power plays, momentum swung the home team’s way until Nick Paul regained the Battalion’s lead when Liam Herbst failed to freeze the puck with it falling loose right in front of his net.

The Battalion scored two quick goals early in the second period (Brenden Miller and Mathew Santos) to give the Battalion the dreaded 4-1 lead.

Dante Salituro started the comeback for the 67’s scoring his team-leading 30th and 31st goals back to back in a span of 4:40. Suddenly, the Battalion’s lead was cut to one going into the third period. Bell scored his first tying goal at 4:26, and then Battalion’s Brett McKenzie responded at 13:34. Bell would finally tie it up again at 18:28 to force the extra frame.
“Our guys battled back. It was 4-1, they could have quit,” said 67’s coach Jeff Brown who has three regulars out with the flu. “Hard character, I like our locker room and that’s what happens when you’re pulling together and play for one another.”
With nothing solved in overtime, the game went to the shootout. It took 5 rounds to decide the game with both goaltenders standing on their heads throughout. Travis Barron was the lone scorer and gave the 67’s their win and only lead of the game.

The win gets the 67’s one point closer to the North Bay Battalion for third place in the Eastern Conference.
“That’s another big thing there,” said Dante Salituro said about catching the Battalion. “I don’t know how much we’re down by them, but we just got to keep doing [winning] for the last 18 games this season.”
Next up is a home-and-home with the Belleville Bulls. The 67’s travel to Belleville on Wednesday night and play host to them the following Friday.

Game summary here.

Three Stars as Selected by TSN1200:




Hardest working 67's:  Travis Konecny
Hardest working 67's:  Travis Konecny

Some pictures from the game:  

Sam Studnicka drawing the penalty that would allow Curtis Meighan to tie the game.
Sam Studnicka drawing the penalty during which Curtis Meighan would tie the game at 1.
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Celebrating Brendan Bell's goal late in the third to tie the game (again) and force OT.

Travis Barron mobbed by his team for winning the game in the shoot out.
Travis Barron mobbed by his team for winning the game in the shoot out. 

Click here to see more pictures.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

The team that the 67s played is now called the North Bay Battalion since they relocated from Brampton two seasons ago.