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The Ottawa 67’s looked like a well-rested team after their holiday break.
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Still shorthanded, due to injuries, and the ongoing world junior hockey championship, the 67’s came out flying on home ice on Friday afternoon, earning a 5-1 win over the Kingston Frontenacs.
Henry Mews scored a pair, along with Jack Dever’s first OHL goal, and markers from Chris Barlas, and Will Gerrior. Max Donoso made 33 saves for Ottawa, for his 17th win of the season.
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We’re short-staffed, but what I liked best about today was our structure,” said head coach Dave Cameron. “We managed the clock real well, and did a good job of managing the puck.”
After a fast-paced first period, things remained scoreless until the two teams combined for a pair of goals in the final minute. Maddox Callens gave the Frontenacs a 1-0 lead with 31 seconds remaining, but off the ensuing faceoff, Cam Tolnai and Frankie Marrelli combined to feed Mews at the point, and he rifled a shot past Mason Vaccari to tie the game with eight seconds to go in the first.
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Ottawa capitalized on an end-boards bounce when a Matthew Mayich shot bounced to Barlas, and he made no mistake for his seventh and a 2-1 67’s lead.
After Brady Stonehouse drew a penalty near the midway point of the period, the home side won the offensive zone faceoff, and Mews patiently fired home his second of the day, making it 3-1.
Late in the third period, Kingston defender Quinton Burns was ejected for a crosscheck to the face of Tolnai, and both Gerrior, and Dever scored on the powerplay in the final 90 seconds, securing a decisive 5-1 victory for the 67’s.
“It feels good to be contributing,” said Dever, who missed time recently due to an injury. “I felt like I was playing pretty good when I got injured, and then to come back and score was great.”
