Tonight’s game is the back end of the first home-and-home series between these two teams this year. Last night Ottawa defeated Peterborough in their own barn with a score of 3 – 2.
Peterborough player notes: scratch Mark Pawlowski, Jamie Doornbosch, Branislav Rehus, Brett Theberge, and Brendan Taylor. Jason Missiaen started in goal – jungle drums saying that Brendan Taylor and prospect goalie Trevor Cann were benched for some internal disciplinary issue.
Ottawa player notes: scratch Matt McDougall, Matt Ribeiro, Arron Alphonso. Brady Morrison started in goal. Brodie Beard was in lineup sheet, took the warm up but did not hit the ice. Can't recall if he dressed and sat on the bench. Don’t know the story there. Joe Grimaldi was back after a 2-game suspension earned in the game with Owen Sound.
Lines for tonight:
McGinn, Couture, Lahey
Liscomb, Linsday, Bailey
And the rest of the guys in a variety of combinations from what I can recall.
Defensive pairings: Joslin-Vojta, Grimaldi - Cuma, Ryan - Demers
Lots of action in the first period. Ottawa started aggressively and stayed with it essentially keeping the play in the Pete’s defensive zone most of the time. Thomas Nesbitt opened the scoring at 4:42 with a wrist shot from the slot that beat the very tall (6’7”!) Pete’s goalie on the near side. Matheiu Methot and Tyler Cuma got the assists. Not quite two minutes later, Joe Grimaldi started his wicked ways by getting penalties for roughing and fighting. For reasons unknown, Grimaldi and Walchessen got into it. It was over quickly. The Pete’s power play was short-lived as Kyle Raftis of the Petes was called for hooking. In the ensuing 4-on-4 play, Jason Bailey had a great scoring opportunity as he brought the puck all the way by himself and got a good shot away. The game was getting a bit chippy and I was thinking that it wouldn’t be long until someone got hurt. The Petes were clearly frustrated as the 67s were checking them right out of their socks. Just as it was getting to the last 5 minutes of play, Mathieu Methot showed off his dangling skills as he dipsy-doodled the puck to beat Missiaen to put Ottawa ahead by 2. Scott Cowie got the assist but you can also credit the work of the rest of guys on the ice to win the fights on the boards. The Petes got a chance to get within 1 when Vojta made a bad turnover right in front of Brady. Brady was able to make the necessary save. He was saved later by the post as well.
Ottawa led by 2 after the first period with SOGs 19 – 7 for Ottawa.
Ottawa started the second period with sustained pressure but Peterborough still had a couple of chances that Brady shut down. Grimaldi put the team into penalty trouble with mindless stupidity (well really, is there such a thing as mindful stupidity??). First he got into a swordfight with Soryal and they both were sent off for slashing. Seconds before his penalty was finished, Vojta got called for hooking. Grimaldi then managed to take a stupid, stupid, pointless penalty for interference to put his team into a 3-on-5 situation for 50 seconds. Fortunately (for the 67s) the Petes couldn't get at all organized and Ottawa killed both penalties. Logan Couture made a really big save when he blocked a shot in point-blank range. It hurt but he stayed in the play until it was safe to get to the bench. Grimaldi didn’t see anymore ice time in the second. Also fortunate for the 67s was that the Petes could barely hit the broad side of a barn door. They did manage to ring another one off the metal but it bounced out rather than in.
No additional scoring in the second period. Shots on goal were 34 – 20 for Ottawa.
Brett Liscomb was called for hooking in the dying seconds of the second period so Ottawa opened the third with 1:57 remaining to be killed (which they did). Grimaldi managed to get himself back into the good graces of the coach and was back on the ice. Brady also started the period in fine form making good saves on some early quick shots. In one scrum Tyler Cuma was very slow to get up. He skated to the bench on his own steam and was soon back in the game. Ottawa finally made good on a power play opportunity in the first five minutes. Derek Joslin fired one from the point that got through for his 6th goal of the year. Jason Bailey and Brett Liscomb got the assists. But the prettiest goal of the night came just 1:22 later when Logan Couture won the face off, Tyler Cuma, through great second effort, was able to poke the puck ahead and Jamie McGinn streaked in on the breakaway to beat Missiaen with a nice backhand shot to make it 4 – 0. Ottawa kept it up for the rest of the period – trying to score the arena some natchos – and trying to protect Brady’s shutout. Ottawa kept pouring shots on Missiaen and he kept making the saves and Brady saved all 8 shots that he faced in the third.
The game ended with Ottawa 4 and the Petes facing a long bus ride home. Final shots on goal: 54 – 28 for Ottawa (that’s 20 shots alone in the 3rd period).
Stars for the game:
1. Brady Morrison (28 saves)
2. Mathieu Methot (goal and an assist)
3. Tyler Cuma (2 assists)
Hardest working 67: Logan Couture
Random Thoughts:
- Here’s a shout out to our 67s-watching buddy Bob who is gallivanting about in New Zealand for a month organizing bugs (beetles to be precise). It’s hard work – their attention spans are very short and they do not follow instructions well. No matter how nice it might be there Bob, it’s nicer here. We’re saving all the snow for you to shovel when you get back. Bring wine.
- With tonight’s win, Ottawa now has split the series this year with the Petes with 3 wins each. These two teams meet up again for another home-and-home series in early March.
- Play of the game – someone chipped the puck up along the boards. No one really knew where it was until it bonked off the top of the ref’s head. Could hear the echo.
- Grimaldi has some self-control issues to sort out. This is seriously detracting from the goodness that he brings.
- Positional play – some guys did it really well tonight (Bailey, Methot, Liscomb, Demers come to mind), others not so good (Voyta).
- The team played a full 60 minutes – this was great to watch. Lots of checking, hard work on the boards, plenty of second efforts, great heads-up play, nice work by Brady, puck-luck.
- We're on a 2-game winning streak!! Woo hoo!
Kingston’s in town on Sunday. Should be a good game. Hope we see you there!
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