Mrazek and Nesbitt Lead for an Ottawa Win Over Belleville

Another goalie duel and another win for Petr Mrazek. Don't let the 4-1 score fool you - this game could have turned out differently if Petr Mrazek hadn't made some sharp saves early in the game as the Belleville Bulls started with two quick shots on goal and had more chances in the first 10 minutes of the game.

With Martindale out of the lineup (ankle) and Monahan's strengthening play, the reconfigured lines might have needed a few minutes to get organized. Lindsay moved up to centre the top line, Monahan centred Nesbitt and the recently returned Dalton Smith, Graovac centred Foglia and Carnevale leaving Giftopolous and Fielding as the last two forwards (yup - Fielding as a forward again).
Click here for the game sheet.

The new top line was held to two points for assists but it wasn't for lack of opportunities, but Malcolm Subban denied them goals. In fact, he stoned a number of 67's who had one-on-one opportunities, including Remy Giftopolous who was awarded a penalty shot early in the first period which he shot wide.

Travis Gibbons must have been confused with all the line changes because there were several times where he certainly looked like a forward. And it payed off as he got the first goal of the game as he stepped into a puck that had bounced off a Belleville leg and blasted it past Subban from inside the faceoff circle. Tyler Toffoli and Shane Prince assisted on the goal that launched the Teddy Bear Toss.



Two and a half minutes into the second period, Jake Cardwell caught Judson slightly from behind and found himself getting assessed a major penalty and tossed from the game. On the 5 minute powerplay, Ottawa did a great job for the first three minutes, almost getting a couple of break away and actually getting two shots on goal. But Judson tied it up as he fired it past Mrazek from the faceoff circle.

But that's all they would score in the Rona Centre as the 67's killed the rest of the PP and Mrazek shut down the Bulls.

Thomas Nesbitt put the 67's ahead with a wrist shot from the slot as he came off the wall and fired it over Subban's shoulder. He was unassisted.

Despite Belleville playing the trap, the 67's were able to get them skating and open up the ice as the third period saw a lot of fast, up and down play. With an early goal from Sean Monahan, a big hit on Judson by Cody Ceci, a few more great saves by Mrazek and an EN from Dalton Smith Ottawa finished the Bulls to win the game 4 - 1.

Final shots: 39 - 36 for Belleville.

Ottawa will travel to Belleville for the back half of this home and home series.

Three Stars as selected by the Team1200 (3rd star Subban did not take a turn)

Hardest Working 67's as selected by the Team1200: Travis Gibbons

Random Thoughts:

• If you could give two stars to the same player, I would have given Nesbitt a second star. He was all over the ice and worked hard all game. A great example of work ethic.
  
• Jon Carnevale collided with Foglia and although he returned to the game, he didn't play for the whole game. With Cardwell's ejection from the game, Fielding moved back to defense and the 67's were down to 9 forwards.
  
• Belleville is a young team and got younger when they traded Richard Panik to Guelph Storm for Carter Sandlak on December 1. But they played hard for the entire game and it could have been an entirely different result. Tonight's game on the large Yardman ice should be interesting given how short Ottawa's bench will be.
  
• There should be a special place in hell for those who coach a trapping game.
  
• I didn't blog the Kingston game although I was there. It should be noted that Cody Lindsay scored his 200th OHL goal (all with Ottawa) in the 7 - 1 win.

More Pictures: Click here to see more pictures from the game.

Then and Now: Catching Up with Jamie McGinn and Logan Couture

With the San Jose Sharks in town for their game against the Ottawa Senators, it seems like a good time to catch up with former 67’s captains and current Sharks players Jamie McGinn and Logan Couture.

Then
Both players spent their entire 4 years in the OHL with the Ottawa 67’s. Jamie started in the 2004 – 05 season with Logan joining the following year.

During the 2005 NHL lockout, hockey-starved fans in Ottawa were getting their fix from watching the exciting and, in some minds, over-achieving Ottawa 67’s as they proceeded through the playoff rounds and swept the Peterborough Petes to win the Eastern Conference Championship and a berth in the Memorial Cup in London. For Jamie, this is his best memory as a 67’s, riding the excitement all the way to the Memorial Cup where the underdog 67’s put up a good fight. Remember that this was the year of the London Knights juggernaut and the Sydney Crosby show.  During this same time, Logan was being courted by the club and was in attendance for a few playoff games to show him and his family the quality of the club, the city and its hockey fans. No one could have predicted then how connected these two players would be through their OHL, AHL and NHL careers.

Wearing numbers 88 and 89 respectively, Jamie and Logan were top line, go-to guys, putting up points and as they matured, providing leadership to their team. Jamie played 276 regular season and playoff games, scoring 123 goals and adding 128 assists getting close to a point a game. Logan played 254 regular season and playoff games, putting up 120 goals and 195 assists.

Neither player has a favourite Killer story, both commenting that every now and again, they and other former 67’s (Derek Joslin is with the team, Brad Staubitz was with the team until moving on to Minnesota this season, Sharks GM Doug Wilson is a former 67’s) will sit around with other players telling Killer stories and laughing for hours. While the stories are fun to remember, both players also said that they remember Brian for much more than his stories. Brian was always there for the players, always wanting what was best for them and for winning. Jamie was clear in his regard for Brian, noting how much he helped him in his development and his career, especially choosing him as team captain.

For Logan, being with the club for Brian’s final year as the coach of the 67’s stands out for him.

Now
Both players were drafted by the San Jose Sharks and have played for the farm team, the Worcester Sharks and both have made that long trip a few times between Worcester and San Jose, although Jamie is the hands-down winner in the frequent flyer category. The Sharks were so tight against the salary cap, they had to ship Jamie up and down several times just to stay within the cap. He was travelling so much, it warranted its own story.

As team mates they are also supporting each other in the transition from well-tended billets to self-sufficiency. In the cooking department, everyone takes turns cooking and each has their dish that they do well (salmon for Logan, chicken stir-fry for Jamie). With all the travel, home cooked meals are a treat, even if the menu isn't very long.

Also part of the transition from junior to professional hockey is learning how to play the game in all roles. "You start at the bottom and try and work your way up. You have to learn to deal with the different roles - the 4th line role, the third line role...". Jamie also notes that some things stay the same "It's all about work ethic, hunting down pucks, and just creating energy for the guys.". 


 

Photo courtesy of the San Jose Sharks

Through serendipity, despite having played 24 games in the NHL last year, Logan is still considered a rookie for Calder Cup purposes (one more game would have blown that chance) and he is in the hunt right now. And despite all that experience from last year, Logan still feels very much the rookie, picking up the pucks, hanging back to take later elevators, watching, listening and learning - all the conventional rookie behaviors. Every now and again he steps back and realizes how lucky he is to be playing a game he loves, playing in the best league in the world and with some of the best players in the world. This reflection anchors him when things are not going well and it would be easy to get too down.

Photo courtesy of the San Jose Sharks

 
Jamie is in a contract year and is trying to not think about it too much. He just wants to work hard, focus on helping the team win and making it hard for them to send him back to Worcester. So far, it appears to be working as he has been with the team since the start of the year.
 
Both players are really excited to return to Ottawa, not only to play but to catch up with old friends. Jamie is particularly looking forward to reuniting with his billets who took such good care of him. Cody Lindsay and Travis Gibbons are on Logan’s look-up list. And for both players, they will be a bit nervous going to Scotia Bank Place as the visiting team. But they expect to settle down and get to the business of winning hockey.

Jamie and Logan remember Ottawa as a terrific place to play hockey, where the fans were great and made it hard for the visiting teams and where the club helped them develop into professional hockey players on and off the ice.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Many thanks to the San Jose Sharks for arranging the interviews with Jamie and Logan. Between time zone difference, practices and life, it took some patience for the schedules to align.

Game Set Up: Ottawa versus Kingston in Kingston

An interesting and important match up today in Kingston against two Divisional rivals running neck and neck in the standings. These teams have split the two games played against each other so far this year with each team getting their win on the road.

Since they last met, both teams have made personnel changes. Kingston notably went for Ottawa native Ryan Spooner. D Jeff Braithwaite was thrown into the trade and Kingston later added D Mitch Gaulton from Erie.

For the 67's, the blue line was bolstered when they sent D/F Ryan Hanes to Sudbury for D Jake Cardwell and D Julien Luciani was added from Belleville.

Nathan Moon, Ethan Werek and Ryan Spooner all play well against Ottawa, racking up 10 points among them this year so far (Spooner's points coming from his time in Peterborough). For the 67's, the top line has also combined for 10 points against Kingston.

An interesting breakdown of the PP & PK stats, Kingston has the league's second best PP at home with 26% while Ottawa has the league's best PK on the road at 89%. Kingston's PK at home is 16th in the league at 77% while Ottawa's road PP is 15th in the league with 14.5%.

Points against close rivals are always important but with Kingston having two games in hand, today's points are critical.

I'll be heading down the 401 for this game and for what should be a very good game.

Ottawa 67's	Head to Head	Kingston Frontenacs
17-9-0-0 34 points	Record	15-7-1-1 32 points
2nd Eastern	Conference - Rank	3rd Eastern
104	GF	90
81	GA	82
7-3-0-0	P10	7-2-0-1
(19/112) 17.0 (15th)	PP% (rank)	(25/121) 20.7 (6th)
(17/122) 86.1 (1st)	PK% (rank)	(23/133) 82.7 (5th)

Top Guns

Ottawa 67's	Kingston Frontenacs
Martindale (17-23-40)	Moon (15-23-38)
Prince (10-30-40)	Spooner (15-14-29)
Toffoli (22-17-39)	Werek (14-13-27)
Nesbitt (12-11-23)	Fine (7-16-23)
Lindsay (11-8-19)	Jones (12-8-20)

A Gift Suggestion for Hockey Fans

With the holiday season swinging into full gear, it's time to work on the gift list.

I would highly recommend "They Call Me Killer", a collaboration between James Duthie of TSN fame and Killer himself as a good choice for the book-loving hockey fans on your list.

Duthie got his start as a sports reporter in Ottawa covering the Ottawa 67's and their coach Brian Kilrea and they have remained in touch over the years. With Brian's retirement in 2009, James was inspired to capture some of Killer's oft repeated stories to share with all hockey fans.

James can tell a good story himself but this assignment was to visit with the veteran raconteur, capture his story through his stories and share the results with us. With very little editing (a true transcript of any conversation is ridiculous to read) and very little re-sequencing, James brings the reader into the room with Brian sitting in his favourite armchair recounting a few decades of hockey experiences.

Some of the vignettes are well known ("Hey Dono, are you playing right wing for us or right defense for them?") and some may be new to long-time followers of Brian. But as a collection, they paint the picture of an old-school hockey man who came from humble beginnings in Ottawa and went on a journey that includes being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In speaking with former players and others from Brian's history, Duthie-the-journalist was ready to share all points of view, good or bad, and he noted in our conversation that Brian didn't place any limits on who James should interview nor did Brian veto any content in the transcript (although he did catch 12 typos). So we get the added honest insights and perspectives from those who were part of Brian's hockey life as a player, a coach, a GM, from high school hockey, to the obscure professional minors, the AHL, the NHL and major junior. Along the way, we get insights to his integrity, his loyalty and his true caring for the players and teams that have been given into his care.

As noted in the forward, the book is not a typical autobiography and it does not flow through Brian's life sequentially. Rather, in an effort to bring Brian's voice to paper, James remained as true to the telling as possible. And that includes the delicate subject of colourful language. Both Brian and James wanted a book that would be suitable for teens but to hit the "bleep" button too often would undermine its authenticity. James has done a good job of finding the balance, and honestly, I can't imagine a kid who doesn't hear this language almost daily.

James Duthie is coming to Ottawa for a book signing tomorrow (Sunday November 28) at the Rideau Centre Chapters from 2-4, and again Monday evening at the Senators - Oilers game at SBP. An autographed copy of this book will make a great holiday gift for hockey fans new and old.

Brian Kilrea will also be signing books at the 67's game on Sunday December 5 behind Section 13 at the Rona Centre.  You work this correctly and you can get both autographs on your gift!!

Many thanks to James Duthie who squeezed in a quick chat for this review while trying to get 3 kids to where they needed to be on a busy Saturday that included a book signing in Toronto.

Mrazek Wins Battle of the Goalies in Ottawa's 3 - 2 OT Win Over Niagara

These two evenly matched teams squared off at the Rona Centre last night just one week after their meeting in St. Catherine's in which Andrew Agozzino was a one-man wrecking crew scoring 4 goals in their 6 - 3 victory over Ottawa.

This time it was the Ottawa 67's skating away with a 3 - 2 OT victory to retain second spot in the Eastern Division.

Head-to-head stats going into the game:

Ottawa 67's	Head to Head	Niagara IceDogs
16-9-0-0 32 points	Record	14-7-1-1 30 points
2nd Eastern	Conference - Rank	5th Eastern
101	GF	79
79	GA	70
6-4-0-0	P10	6-3-0-1
(18/107) 16.8	PP%	(20/107) 18.7
(17/118) 85.6	PK%	(20/111) 82.0

Top Guns

Ottawa 67's	Niagara IceDogs
Martindale (17-23-40)	Strome (10-25-35)
Prince (9-30-39)	Friesen (9-16-25)
Toffoli (22-16-38)	Agozzino (15-9-24)
Nesbitt (11-11-22)	Hamilton (10-13-23)
Lindsay (11-8-19)	Shipley (7-11-18)

Click here for the game sheet.

For all their puck possession and great cycling, it took some outstanding saves from Petr Mrazek to give Ottawa the victory. At the end of a fast-paced first period, where both teams had their chances, Ottawa led 2 - 0 on the strength of goals from Tyler Graovac and Thomas Nesbitt. Jake Cardwell, Tyler Toffoli, Marc Zanetti and Cody Ceci provided the assists.

Ottawa started quickly with a couple of good scoring chances that they just couldn't bury, which was going to be a bit of a theme all game for both teams. The first goal of the game came on the PP on Cardwell's shot from the blue line. From my angle I couldn't tell how it went in but with Graovac getting credit and Toffoli with the first assist, it might have bounced around before Graovac got it past Vistentin.

Despite some outstanding fore checking and cycling to maintain possession in their offensive zone, the 67's didn't get the puck to the net as much as one might have liked but at least it kept the IceDogs pinned in their own end.

Near the end of the first, it was the hardworking captain, Thomas Nesbitt who gave Ottawa a 2-goal lead on a nifty move and quick shot that beat Visentin shot side.

They carried the play in the second period as well, getting good scoring chances, including a couple of break-aways. But the tide turned on a questionable call that gave Andrew Agozinno a penalty shot. Mrazek had the puck but it leaked out and slid over the goal line to make it a one-goal game. It gave Niagara life and with 25 seconds left in the frame, Mitchell Theoret tied it up getting the puck past a lunging Mrazek.

Ottawa started the third on a penalty kill that carried over from the second period which put them on the defense immediately and seemed to have them playing tentatively. The IceDogs took full advantage and started piling up the shots on Mrazek. But they managed to snap out of it and get back to how they played the first two periods and made Visentin work hard to keep his team in the game.

But with Gibbons in the penalty box and 6 minutes left to play, the momentum shifted and it was all Niagara pretty much for the rest of a game where you knew that the next goal would take it all. During their PP, the IceDogs were credited with 8 shots on Mrazek (although I think the guy running the shot clock was a tad trigger happy). From my notes, Ottawa had not registered a single shot on Visentin since the 8-minute mark of the period.

But the 67's withstood the onslaught and we were off to overtime.

4-on-4 overtime hockey on big ice can be entertaining and the boys did not disappoint. At precisely the halfway point of the extra frame, Shane Prince picked up a rebound from a shot that rang off the post and popped it past an outstretched Visentin for the win.

The announced full house of fans were treated to an exciting game between two fast and evenly matched teams. Add the win for the home team and you have a perfect start to the weekend. Next up - the team travels to Kingston Sunday for a key divisional match up.


Three Stars as selected by the Team1200 (second star Visentin did not take a turn)

Hardest Working 67's as selected by the Team1200: Sean Monahan

Random Thoughts:

• Good to see secondary scoring - goals from the second and third lines in this game.
  
• Monahan's hard work and solid play were rewarded with extra time and responsibility. He played on the second line with Lindsay and Nesbitt.
  
• The D accounted for 4 points of the 8 points credited to Ottawa. Strong contribution from the blue line.
  
• It easy to forget how much these kids develop physically and skill-wise from year to year. Gibbons and Zanetti are so strong and skilled out there, blocking shots, pivoting away from their attacker, and taking and giving hits.
  
• Alot of Movember efforts out there - some good, some...well...let's just say good effort. All for the cause!

More Pictures: Click here to see more pictures from the game.

Strong Win Over the Belleville Bulls

The top line just kept rolling along as Martindale, Toffoli and Prince each had a goal in Ottawa's 5 - 2 win over the Belleville Bulls. Throw in goals from Lindsay and Carnevale and you have the necessary secondary scoring for support.

Petr Mrazek made 28 saves while the Subban the younger made 34.

Click here for the game sheet.

In a tight East Division race, the Ottawa 67's need to beat the teams that they should beat. The Belleville Bulls are the second lowest scoring team in the league and among the teams that let in the most goals. So while last night's win was important, it wasn't against one of this year powerhouses. That's for later this weekend in Kitchener.

The 67's pretty much owed the puck through the first period although the shots at the end of the frame would indicate otherwise (11 - 7). My gauge is the level of complaints by the photographers at the other end of the ice.

It was the resurgent Cody Lindsay who got Ottawa on the board first just 5 minutes into game when he buried a pass to the front of the net from former Belleville Bull Julian Luciani.

The 67's went on to get goals from Tyler Toffoli, Ryan Martindale, Jon Carnevale, and Shane Prince to make it 5 - 0 five minutes into the third period.

It seemed that the 67's changed gears for a bit, perhaps focusing on preserving the shut-out for Petr, perhaps trying to conserve energy knowing the road trip and teams that remained for the weekend. But there was a brief 3rd period sag that the Bulls jumped on.

Actually, Belleville picked up their game in the second period and if a few bounces had gone their way, this would have been a tighter game.

Down 5 goals in the third, the Belleville Bulls didn't quit and were rewarded with goals from Brassard and Corbeth (which was a buzzer-beater that needed a video review to confirm).

They had other great scoring chances and Petr Mrazek was well tested in close due to some soft defensive play in their own zone.

But the outcome was never seriously in jeopardy as the 67's stepped up just enough to preserve the win.

After their 4th win in a row, the 67's hopped on the bus for a 6 1/2 hour bus ride to St. Catherine's to take on the Niagara IceDogs who will be looking to rebound from a close 2 - 1 loss to Missy. The stronger tests of the 67's lie before them this weekend and next.

TAGThree Stars as selected by the Team1200

Hardest Working 67's as selected by the Team1200: Jon Carnevale Random Thoughts:

• Tyler Toffoli was named the OHL Player of the Week for his 16 goals in a week.
  
• Shane Prince, who wears number 18, was listed in 18th spot on the NHL Central Scouting OHL rankings.
  
• This was Julian Luciani's first game against his former team after last weekend's trade.
  
• Shane Monahan was named to the Ontario U17 roster that will compete in the World Hockey Challenge that will take place in Winnipeg December 29, 2010 to January 4, 2011.
  
• Loved the Goulbourne Middle School band playing the national anthem. Really like the variety that the 67's organization brings to the anthem tradition.
• Belleville top scorer and Senators prospect Richard Panik was held pointless for the game.
  

More Pictures: Click here to see more pictures from the game.

Then and Now: Catching Up with Michael Peca

Then
Toronto native Michael Peca, 1990 first round pick of the Sudbury Wolves came to Ottawa midway through the 1991/92 season. Not really sure what to expect when he heard about it, he consulted teammate Glen Murray who confirmed the news with the GM. Although it was the first time he had been traded and didn’t’ really know what to expect, he viewed it as a new experience, a new challenge. “I didn’t realize at the time that it was going to change my hockey career forever.”

Until reporting to Sudbury, he had played as a right-winger. In Sudbury he was the left wing on the third line and either 2nd or 3rd in team scoring. When he got to Ottawa, Killer put him at centre and Michael found himself handling the puck much more than before. He also benefited from the teachings of Brian Kilrea who had been a centre himself. The results? Michael went from scoring 41 and 75 points respectively in his first 2 seasons to scoring 102 and 113 points and being the team’s leading scorer in the next two seasons. It was the turning point in what was going to become an outstanding career.

Drafted 40th overall by Vancouver in the 1992 NHL entry draft, he went on to score 191 goals, 308 assists for a total of 499 points in 961 NHL regular season and playoff games.  His 13 year career saw him playing in Vancouver, Buffalo (captain), New York (Islanders - captain), Edmonton, Toronto, and Colorado and making it to the Stanley Cup final with Edmonton and Buffalo.

In international play, Michael was a member of the gold medal winning 1994 Canadian World Junior Tournament team, captained Team Canada in the 2001 World Championship and was a proud member of Team Canada in that great 2002 Olympic gold medal win in Salt Lake City.

Throw in a couple of Selkes (1997 and 2002) and you have a great hockey career.


Now
Retired in January 2010, Michael is enjoying the pace of his post-NHL life. He spends time with his family, coaches his son’s team, appears on TSN where he gets to provide analysis from his perspective and has fun playing weekly competitive over-35 hockey with like-minded friends in the Buffalo area he now calls home.  The demands on his time, the travel and the structure from his professional days are not missed at all. 

Will he follow the steps of other NHLers and get into more competitive coaching? He’s not in any rush. He may consider it once he is done coaching his son. He certainly loves the teaching that coaching allows and he loves the game of hockey "...which will always suck you back”.

His fondest memory as a 67’s is just having been here. A month after the trade, it was like he had always been in Ottawa. Killer was a father figure, instilling the right values and teaching them to be responsible young men. He learned to be accountable on and off the ice, that there are consequences for your actions and the lesson of humility.  These are traits that served him well in his professional career and traits he tries to impart on his young charges today.

A Soo-table Ending to the Weekend: Ottawa 7 - SSM 3

That's three for three this weekend for the 67's who are looking pretty solid as a team. As mentioned in the game set-up, today was the 4th game in as many days for Toffoli and Martindale and the team had two new players to incorporate - D Jake Cardwell from Sudbury and D Julien Luciano from Belleville.

It certainly was not the return that Chris Perugini and Derek Hartwell had hoped for.

Click here for the game sheet.

With a hardworking win over Sarnia on Friday, a trip to and from Peterborough yesterday (which gets everyone back to the Rona Centre around 1:30AM), it would be reasonable to expect the 67's to be a bit tired against the Greyhounds. Especially with the Greyhounds having spent yesterday here in Ottawa resting.

Someone forgot to tell the 67's that - especially the top line of Toffoli, Martindale and Prince. This trio combined for 10 goals and 13 assist in three games this weekend.

Carnevale, Shipley and Janes were all out of the line up due to injuries and the Fielding as a forward experiment in Peterborough did not carry over into today's game.

Ottawa took the lead in the first period with Ryan Martindale scoring at the last second of a 36-second 5-on-3 PP followed up by Thomas Nesbit notching his 11th of the year. Toffoli and Prince assisted on Martindale's goal while Lindsay and Luciani had the helpers for Nesbitt.

Perhaps they were a little too sure of themselves or perhaps the intermission allowed the lactic acid to build up in their legs but for the first half of the second period, the 67's did not play like they had all weekend to that point. And the SSM Greyhounds were only too happy to take advantage, getting goals from Carrick, Catenacci (a PPG) and Dubchak in just over 8 minutes.

Just when I thought the 67's were running out of gas, new guy Luciani and David Quesnele went at it. Quesnele was feeding Luciani early in the bout but then Julien got his hand free and landed a few strong ones at the end. Quesnele fell hard in the take-down and may have injured his shoulder.

This served to wake up to the 67's and the team got back to what made them successful all weekend. With goals from Foglia and Martindale less than a minute apart, the 67's tied and then took the lead - never to look back.

Two third period goals from Toffoli and Prince's 8th goal of the season made it a night.

It was a good weekend. Now to rest, practice and prepare for next weekend where they host the Belleville Bulls on Friday and hit the road to play the IceDogs and Rangers.

Three Stars as selected by the Team1200

Hardest Working 67's as selected by the Team1200: Dalton Smith Random Thoughts:

• The 67's played teams that are all lower than them in the standings and it would be reasonable to expect that they should win. But it's how they won. They really played like a team. Puck support, speed, attention to defense and working hard in all areas of the ice had them looking pretty good. Doing this consistently will be important.
  
• Listened to Jon Abbot interviewing the top line after the game. They were understandably happy.
  
• 10 67's players had points in tonight's game. That has to make the coaches happy.
  
• I thought linesmen were supposed to jump in and end a fight when one of the brain-buckets come off. It didn't happen in the Luciani - Quesnele fight tonight and I have noticed them not doing it before. Hmmm.
  
• So much for loyalty - one fan yelled from the stands "You suck Perugini!" To add insult to injury, Perugini has had to cover that long stretch of highway between Ottawa and SSM 4 times this year - returning home both times after losses (he was not in goal when the 67's lost in SSM).

More Pictures:




Yet another addition to the 67's: D Julien Luciano



Click here to see more pictures from the game.

Game Set Up: Ottawa versus The Soo

Today's game is the fourth game in four days for Ryan Martindale and Tyler Toffoli while it's the third in three for the rest of the team.

While the Ottawa 67's were winning in solid style in Peterborough last night, former 67's Chris Perugini and Derek Hartwick were resting in Ottawa after a 3-2 OT win in Peterborough on Thursday and a 5 - 2 loss in Kingston on Friday. It will likely be a bit odd for Chris and Derek viewing the Rona Centre from a new perspective.

Ottawa needs to get its second wind and take this game to keep up with Kingston and Oshawa in the Eastern Division standings. The Greyhounds need wins to turn around a season that has been pretty tough so far.

Ottawa 67's	Head to Head	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
13-8-0-0 26 points	Record	7-11-3-0 17 points
2nd Eastern	Conference - Rank	9th Western
81	GF	71
65	GA	84
6-4-0-0	P10	3-5-2-0
(15/96) 15.6 (17th)	PP% (rank)	(16/104) 15.4 (18th)
(14/99) 85.9 (3rd)	PK% (rank)	(25/112) 77.7 (17th)

Top Guns

Ottawa 67's	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Prince (7-24-31)	Thompson (14-11-25)
Toffoli (16-14-30)	Catenacci (9-15-24)
Martindale (12-17-29)	Cousins (9-11-20)
Nesbitt (10-10-20)	Cooper (4-12-16)
Lindsay (9-6-15)	Findlay (4-6-10)

Hardwork and Teamwork Gives Ottawa a 3 - 2 Win Over Sarnia

The 67's made up for a less than stellar performance last week in Sarnia with a 3 - 2 win back on home ice.  It was a strong team effort, including Jake Cardwell the new guy on the blue line but it was Tyler Toffoli and his line mates Shane Prince and Ryan Martindale who did all the scoring for Ottawa with Tyler notching his 3rd OHL hat trick.

Click here for the game sheet.

With Carneval (injury), Shipley and Janes (injury) out of the line up, Ottawa was playing with a slightly shortened bench.  Cody Lindsay and Tyler Graovac took turns pulling extra duty centering that line. Petr Mrazek got the start.

The first period was scoreless with both teams starting tentatively but Ottawa slowly found its rhythm, picking up the shots on former Kingston backup goalie John Cullen. In their lone full PP in the first, Ottawa had a hard time maintaining the zone with the Sarnia's aggressive kill.

But the second period was all Ottawa.  Not only did they outshoot Sarnia 15 - 6, they also out-possessed them. I don't think Sarnia had a total of two minutes puck possession in that frame. But for all those shots on goal, Ottawa produced only one goal nearly halfway through. It started with Sedlak headmanning the puck to Nesbitt who chipped it in deep. Shane Prince got the the puck and took a big hit from Sullivan. Toffoli picked up the loose puck, lost his man and snapped a quick shot past Cullen from the top of the face off circle.

Having been dominated in the first and second periods but down just a goal, you knew the Sarnia Sting were going to play desperate hockey in the third. And they did, outshooting Ottawa 13 - 6 in that frame, scoring twice and making a game of it.

It was fast, up and down with lots of scoring chances by both teams. The teams traded goals with Dean Pawlaczyk tying it up early in the third when he picked up a big rebound off Mrazek put it over his shoulder.

Tyler Toffoli regained the lead when he buried a drop pass from Ryan Martindale. Shane Prince got the assist for starting the play by getting possession of the puck in the neutral zone.

Craig Hottot tied it up again with just under 7 minutes left on another big rebound off Mrazek that went into the slot and back on Craig's stick.

Sarnia certainly was encouraged and energized with their results but Ottawa rose to the challenge and it was Tyler Toffoli getting Ottawa back on top for good with his hat trick coming off a great passing play with his line mates Shane Prince and Ryan Martindale.

Sarnia threw everything they had right up to the final buzzer but Ottawa prevailed with their exciting 3 - 2 win.

Ottawa travels to Peterborough today and returns to the Rona Centre on Sunday to face former 67's Chris Perugini and the Soo Greyhounds.

Three Stars as selected by the Team1200 (third star Nathan Chiarlitti did not take a turn)

Hardest Working 67's as selected by the Team1200: Ryan Martindale Random Thoughts:

• The 67's played hard as a team, working to get and maintain puck possession and generating scoring chances. Everyone was skating, moving, and staying out of the penalty box. It was fun to watch.
• For their part, Sarnia played a great road game in that they never gave up and made the game exciting. 
  
• Jake Cardwell had a good debut. Interesting fact - during the 91/92 season, Michael Peca was traded to Ottawa from Sudbury and wore number 27. On the night to honour the former 67's, Jake Cardwell makes his debut from a trade with Sudbury and he wears number 27. An omen? We can hope.
  
• While the Ottawa PP was 0/5, their PK was perfect at 0/3. Their PK was very good.
  
• I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Peca for an upcoming Then and Now article. What an incredibly easy guy to interview - very nice, informative and comfortable. A consummate professional. Hope to have that post up early next week.
  
• OK everyone, stop asking Cody about his scoring slump. He's probably obsessing enough on his own - I'm sure he doesn't need help.

More Pictures:
Former 67's Michael Peca and his family

Jake Cardwell, newest member of the team

Remy Giftopolous
Click here to see more pictures from the game.

Game Set Up: Ottawa versus Sarnia Sting

The Sarnia Sting start their swing through the eastern region of the league with tonight's game in Ottawa. These teams met last weekend where the Sting won 4 - 1.  Ottawa will be looking to return the favour to Sarnia tonight.  Jake Cardwell, yesterday's addition to the blue line, should be in the line up.

On that same road trip, the Ottawa 67's beat the London Knights 4 - 3 in a shoot-out on Friday and lost 6 - 4 in Guelph on Sunday where former Ottawa 67's Michael Latta scored a hat trick. D Travis Gibbons was injured in the game on Friday and did not play for the rest of the weekend.

Ryan Martindale and Tyler Toffoli are back in Ottawa after playing on Team OHL in the Subway Super Series that was played last night in London. Each had an assist in Team OHL's 4 - 0 win.

And finally, former 67's Michael Peca will be at the Rona Centre tonight signing autographs on the concourse. The first 2,000 fans to the game will also receive a FREE Michael Peca Poster!

Hope we see you there.

Ottawa 67's	Head to Head	Sarnia Sting
11-8-0-0 22 points	Record	8-8-2-0 18 points
5th Eastern	Conference - Rank	8th Western
72	GF	76
61	GA	71
5-5-0-0	P10	5-4-1-0
(15/87) 17.2 (14th)	PP% (rank)	(22/117) 18.8 (9th)
(12/88) 86.4 (3rd)	PK% (rank)	(17/90) 81.1 (10th)

Top Guns

Ottawa 67's	Sarnia Sting
Prince (7-20-27)	Yakupov (15-16-31)
Martindale (11-15-26)	Kerbashian (11-17-28)
Toffoli (12-13-25)	Galchenyuk (7-15-22)
Nesbitt (9-8-17)	Peters (7-15-22)
Lindsay (7-6-13)	Francisco (8-6-14)

Ryan Hanes traded to Sudbury

Ryan Hanes - 2nd Star on October 1, 2010.

The Ottawa 67's announced yesterday that 18 year old F/D Ryan Hanes was traded to the Sudbury Wolves for D Jake Cardwell. Ottawa also sent two picks to Sudbury (2nd and 7th rounds in 2011).

Ryan played 107 regular season games in Ottawa since joining the team in the 08/09 season and registered 3 goals and 4 assists during that span. He shifted between D and F but, according to the 67's announcement, he preferred to play on defense and this trade will give him a better chance for that.

On the return side, Jake Cardwell is a 6’2”, 198 lbs 18 year old who is, by all reports, a physical player. The Niagara Falls native, who has been at home since some time in October, played 108 games for the Wolves recording 5 goals and 14 assists. Expect to see Jake in his 67's debut tonight.

Elsewhere in the OHL, the Ryan Spooner deal was also concluded yesterday with the divisional rival Kingston Frontenacs stepping up to the asking price.  Peterborough sent Ryan Spooner and D Jeff Braithwait to Kingston who returned F Alan Quine and D Clark Seymore, a second-round pick in 2011 and a conditional second-round pick in 2013.

Kingston, already on top of the Eastern Division, believes it has loaded up to take a serious run at Mississauga, currently ranked at the top of the CHL standings and host of the 2011 Memorial Cup.

With Windsor putting Ryan Ellis and Zack Kassian on the trading block, there may not be any big moves left to be made by the time the trade deadline gets here.

Best wishes to you Ryan and we will see you back here at the traditional regular season closer against Sudbury in March. 

A 4 -1 Victory In Peterborough

After giving up the first goal to Peterborough again the 67's turned to solid teamwork in the second and third periods to take the game to Peterborough and take the home-and-home series. With two goals from Tyler Toffoli and a goal each from Shane Prince and Ryan Martindale, the top line lived up to their billing.

Click here for the game sheet.

I joined the 67's for their road trip to Peterborough and the back half of the home and home series.

It was a quiet ride down highway 7, perhaps too quiet as the 67's started the game rather tentatively and the Peterborough Petes were able to get the early jump. Ottawa didn't register their first shot on O'Hagan until over 5 minutes into the game. Ottawa native and Boston prospect Ryan Spooner got the first goal of the game and the only Peterborough goal before the period was half over on a two-on-one with Matt Puempel that he kept and beat Mrazek 5-hole. He was assisted by Zach Tatrn and Barron Smith.

Ottawa started picking up its game about two thirds of the way through the first although their second powerplay of the period wasn't all that powerful - they got two shots on goal and Peterborough got one.

The start of the second period saw a whole lotta skating by both teams but not a lot of shots or scoring chances. Shane Prince evened up the score with his 7th goal of the season on a pretty puck moving play among Toffoli, Martindale and Prince that found the puck on Prince's stick for the tip in.

Ryan Martindale got the go-ahead and eventual GWG on the transition after a wild scramble in the Ottawa zone that started with Matt Puempel blocking a clearing attempt. The Petes kept control and for a few moments, Mrazek had no idea where the puck was but Marc Zanetti finally got it under control and to Ryan Martindale who passed it up ice to Tyler Toffoli. Tyler sent it back to Martindale who put it past O'Hagan stick side.

There is no quit in the young Peterborough team and with just a one-goal deficit going into the third, they were working hard to tie it up. They outshot Ottawa 17 - 11, in that frame, including some great scoring chances, but Petr Mrazek was solid.

Tyler Toffoli scored both goals in the third with his 9th of the year as a quick wrist shot from the hashmarks that beat O'Hagan over the stick side for the insurance goal and he closed out the game with a SH/EN with two seconds left.

So with the two wins, the 67's stand atop of the East Division by one point over Oshawa (who has a game in hand) and third in the Conference. Tomorrow they host the Kingston Frontenacs for the second School Day game. Kingston is coming to Ottawa off a shoot-out road win over Owen Sound.

Three Stars as selected by the Team1200 (I decided to go with Jonny's choices)

Hardest Working 67s as selected by the Team1200: Shane Prince
Random Thoughts:

• When the 67's play as a team, they are strong, aggressive, possessive and effective. They need to start every game skating and working hard. Better teams will get them into an early hole that the 67's will not score their way out of if they continue to take the first period to get with the program. For example Mississauga, the stingiest team in the league, is 5-0 when leading after 1 period and 8-0 when leading after 2. Not gonna make up lost first period ground on this team too often.
  
• The Petes were very aggressive in their PK, effectively keeping Ottawa to the outside and limiting their real scoring chances. By my reckoning Ottawa only had 3 SOGs total in their 4 PPs whereas the Petes had at least 2 SOGs short handed. For the most part they maintained good possession but were unable to penetrate the perimeter and generate good scoring chances.
  
• In his first return to his old barn, Adam was welcomed with a few hellos from fans and being charged into the boards by Myles McCauley. A mixed reception I would say.
  
• Not nearly the scrappy game I expected after Friday's game. I guess Peterborough wanted to play a bit more disciplined and it was their third in three.
  
• With 3 drafted players, 3 OAs and 17 eligible for 2011 draft (including their goalies), Peterborough is icing a pretty young team.
  
• The person on the shot clock in Peterborough is liberal in his/her interpretation of the guidelines. Anything that came remotely close to Mrazek from anywhere in the rink was registered as a shot. Improves his save %.

More Pictures:

Team1200's Jon Abbott talking to himself in the visitor's broadcast booth

Click here to see more game-day pictures.

Ottawa Takes Game 1 in a 5 - 4 Win over Peterborough

The score was closer than the game would suggest due to the outstanding play of Peterborough goalie Andrew D'Agostini but the Ottawa 67's played a strong game for the 5 - 4 win. Between some solid saves and a serious quantity of horseshoes, D'Agostini kept his team in the game as he faced 54 shots. On the other hand, Shayne Campbell got his first win in his Ottawa 67's debut behind the solid play of his team. Click here for the game sheet.

Both teams started tentatively, perhaps sizing each other up early in this first of eight meetings this season. Ottawa seemed a little disorganized and the Petes got the jump both with shots on goal and with the first goal (a PPG) of the game by Ottawa native Ryan Spooner as he beat a screened Campbell with a wrist shot over the stick side. But Ottawa's top line struck back with their own PPG from Tyler Toffoli to tie it up before the period ended with a nice give-and-go with Martindale that he put past the glove of D'Agostini.

And the top line would be tops three more times before the game was over with another goal from Tyler Toffoli and two from Ryan Martindale. Shane Prince was in on all four goals. Scoring was rounded out with Sean Monahan getting his second of the season with assists from Steven Janes and Taylor Fielding.

Going into the second period tied at one, it took just 34 seconds for Ottawa to take the lead with Sean Monahan taking a pass from Steven Janes and wristing it top shelf over the stick side. But a sloppy back half of a PP allowed Austin Watson to tie it up on a short handed goal with a backhand over the shoulder of Campbell. And just over two minutes later, Ryan Spooner notched his second of the game to give Peterborough the lead once again as he skated through the 67's and wristed it over the stick side.

But Ottawa kept up the pressure and it paid off with Ryan Martindale tying it back up with just over 4 minutes left in the second with a quick one-timer from Shane Prince.

Ottawa started the third with 1:54 of a PP that they didn't convert but they maintained the momentum from that advantage. They must have possessed the puck for 17 minute of the 20-minute period including some great cycling by the rookie line. Goals from Toffoli and Martindale gave Ottawa the lead for good although Peterborough did close the gap to one on a late period goal by Matt Puempel.

So Ottawa took the first of the 8 matches between these two teams and the first of this home-and-home series with a 5 - 4 win and SOGs of 54 - 30. It should be a good rematch in Peterborough tonight.

Three Stars as selected by the Team1200

Hardest Working 67s as selected by the Team1200: Shane Prince

Random Thoughts:

• Shane Prince was a monster out there. His hard work and energy was instrumental to his line mates' success. He took some rough stuff too.
  
• The top line combined for 10 points. They need to keep playing hard and being productive.
  
• Ryan Spooner has some success against Ottawa - something like 8 goals
  


• A major overhaul with the Petes does not appear to have changed their chippy attitude - lots of post-whistle nonsense as well as in-game dirty play including a nasty spearing of Dalton Smith by Barron Smith.
  


• The original pairings for Ottawa were Sedlak - Gibbons, Zanetti - Ceci, and Shipley - Fielding but something must have happened to Shipley as we didn't see much of him and Shipley and Gibbons saw ice time together.
  


• Dalton Smith could lose the Chris Neil post-fight-skate-to-the-penatly-box moves.

More Pictures: Click here to see more pictures from the game.

Game Set Up: Ottawa versus Peterborough

Ottawa gave away another 2 points with their 4 - 2 loss in Belleville on Wednesday. Once again, they were set on their heels by a team that came at them quickly. Tonight's game is the first of a home-and-home series between these two teams and the Peterborough Petes are coming to town after a 3 - 2 OT win over Oshawa in Peterborough last night.

Peterborough Petes	Head to Head	Ottawa 67's
4-7-0-1 9 points	Record	8-5-0-0 16 points
7th Eastern	Conference - Rank	2nd Eastern
38	GF	52
59	GA	39
4-5-0-1	P10	7-3-0-0
(12/73) 16.4 (17th)	PP% (rank)	(9/54) 16.7 (16th)
(12/58) 79.3 (12th)	PK% (rank)	(8/63) 87.3 (2nd)

Top Guns

Peterborough Petes	Ottawa 67's
Puempel (8-9-17)	Prince (6-13-19)
Spooner (7-8-15)	Nesbitt (7-7-14)
Martschini (3-5-8)	Martindale (6-8-14)
Ekelund (5-2-7)	Toffoli (6-7-13)
Robertson (2-5-7)	Lindsay (5-6-11)

Ottawa Gets the Shoot-out Win

Unable to hang onto a 3-goal lead going into the third, it took Ottawa 67's captain Thomas Nesbitt as the 9th shooter and Petr Mrazek's save on Boone Jenner to bag the win. It was quite the nail biter.

The first period was a much better effort by the 67's this afternoon getting goals from Tyler Toffoli (unassisted) and Cody Ceci (assisted by Sean Monahan). With the rest of the team going for a line change, Tyler harassed Oshawa's Scott Valentine creating a turn over that he quickly flipped over the glove hand of Michael Zador.

Cody's goal was a blast from the point that beat Zador over the glove (again). After the first 20, the shots were even at 10 apiece.

Then things slowing started shifting in Oshawa's favour although it was Travis Gibbons who scored the only goal of the period, his first of the year. He picked off the top corner from near the hashmarks to give his team a three goal lead near the end of the second period. Thomas Nesbitt and Sean Monahan assisted. But despite the score, it was Oshawa that was pressing well and getting shots through. Ottawa didn't get their first shot through to Zador until 5:23 left in the period. They only had 3 shots for the entire period to Oshawa's 14.

The third started to look alot like the game on Friday. Oshawa took the game to Ottawa and had them on their heels. Under pressure, the 67's were unable to get back into the same form as the first period. They had difficulty breaking out and they could't sustain pressure in the Oshawa zone. As a result, the Oshawa Generals got goals from Berger (PPG), Laughton, and de Haan (PPG with the goalie pulled) to take the game to OT.

With nothing resolved in OT (and Ottawa getting its only PP of the game - hmmm), it was off to the shootout. Mrazek had been solid but with all the shots and traffic he had faced, did he have enough left in the tank?

Oh yeah! Ottawa shot first and it was Thomas Nesbitt, the 9th shooter who got any puck past either goalie. It was then up to Petr Mrazek to stop Boone Jenner to end the game - which he did - followed by much relief and celebration by his team and the Ottawa fans.

So Ottawa remains atop of the East Division by two points.

Click here for the game sheet.

Three Stars as Selected by the Team1200

Hardest Working 67's as Selected by the Team1200: Petr Mrazek

Random Thoughts:

• It will be difficult to keep winning if they don't start getting more shots on the net. 3 shots in each in the 2nd, 3rd and OT. Not nearly enough.
  
• And it looks less and less likely that Shayne Campbell will get a start anytime soon with the team letting upwards of 30 shots through each game.
  
• When Toffoli and Smith were on their game, they were very pesty - causing turnovers and making Oshawa's life a tad miserable.
  
• From my angle, the late third period call on Toffoli was marginal at best. The refs were letting worse infractions go.
  

More Pictures: Ceci's goal Click here for more pictures from the game.

Game Set Up: Ottawa versus Oshawa

The Ottawa 67's look to regain their form after being thoroughly outplayed by Brampton here at the Rona Centre on Friday. The Oshawa Generals are coming in after a Friday night 4 - 3 win in London. With only a 1 point lead over the divisional rival Oshawa Generals, who have a game in hand, the Ottawa 67's cannot afford to let this opportunity slip away.

Oshawa Generals	Head to Head	Ottawa 67's
6-3-0-1 13 points	Record	7-4-0-0 14 points
5th Eastern	Conference - Rank	2nd Eastern
49	GF	46
39	GA	32
6-3-0-1	P10	7-3-0-0
(9/53) 17.0 - 13th	PP% (rank)	(8/51) 15.7 - 18th
(14/67) 79.1 - 12th	PK% (rank)	(5/56) 91.1 - 1st

Top Guns

Oshawa Generals	Ottawa 67's
Thomas (10-5-15)	Prince (6-12-18)
Andreoff (4-7-11)	Martindale (6-7-13)
Jensen (6-4-10)	Toffoli (5-7-12)
Lessio (4-6-10)	Lindsay (5-6-11)
Valentine (2-8-10)	Nesbitt (5-6-11)

67's Out Battled by the Battalion

After the 5 - 1 drubbing at the hands of the 67's last Sunday, Stan Butler's Brampton Battalion came to Ottawa with revenge on their minds and they delivered. They outplayed Ottawa in every aspect of the game and without the stellar goal tending, once again, of Petr Mrazek, the score would have been much higher than 3 - 1. Click here to see the game sheet.

It's quite simple: Brampton came to play and Ottawa didn't. Name any aspect of the game, except goaltending, and Brampton did it better. Battles on the boards - decisive victories. Aggressive forecheck - check. Puck possession - downright greedy. Penalty killing - almost criminal. The Battalion were 20 players operating like one smooth machine. Ottawa? Not so much.

Ottawa's best cycle came in the first minute and a half in the first period. And then Brampton took over and never relinquished control.

With first period goals from Michael Santini (PPG) and Ian Watters, the Battalion scored all the goals they needed for the win. The more telling stat is that after 20 minutes, Ottawa managed only 4 shots on goal to Brampton's 15. Ottawa had 3 powerplays in the first period and did not register one shot at all while Brampton had at least one shot shorthanded in each of their PKs.

With Marc Zanetti out of the line-up to recover from an injury from the Kingston game on Wednesday, Ryan Hanes moved to the blue line and Remi Giftopolous drew into the line up as a member of the 4th line. And he took advantage of his appearance to notch his first OHL goal of the season early in the second period to break the potential shut-out. Cody Lindsay assisted.

Chris Bryne called a timeout in the second period to settle his team down had it a bit of an effect but it wasn't enough to overcome the serious momentum that Brampton had built up. Fights from Janes, Smith (that was a heavy-weight bout) and Tyler Toffoli (!?) could not inspire the team enough to get the puck into the back of the Brampton net.

When the buzzer sounded at the end of the game, Brampton won 3 -1 and out-shot the 67's 31- 18. It wasn't pretty.

Game's Three Stars as chosen by the Team1200

Hardest Working 67's as selected by the Team1200: Taylor Fielding

Random Thoughts

• Enough said about how the 67's played. Full marks to the Brampton Battalion for an exquisite display of control, skill, speed and teamwork. It was great to watch.
  
• Petr Mrazek currently sits third in the league for the amount of shots he has faced (290 in 8 games). If this keeps up at this pace, both he and his equipment will wear out before the season is over.
  
• Announced attendance at the 67's game: 7184. At the last Phoenix Coyotes game: 6706. Thank you Ottawa 67's fans for making major junior hockey a success here in Ottawa.
  
• A shout-out to long-time 67's fan, Walt. He's not feeling so well right now and could use all the good vibes we can send his way. Your friends in Section 21 miss you. Best wishes Walt!
  

More Pictures:





Time out!



Celebrating Remi Giftopolous' first goal of the season (and only goal of the game)

Tyler Graovac's academic achievement recognized

Click here to see more pictures.