Emotional Weekend Spurs Ottawa 67’s 3-In-3 Sweep

On a day where the Oshawa Generals became the OHL’s first team to clinch a playoff spot, the Ottawa 67’s did their part to help solidify what should be a re-birth in the promised land. Ringing off their first 3-in-3 weekend sweep since January of 2012, the Barberpoles put five points between themselves and the Belleville Bulls for the last home-ice playoff spot in the East.

Playing against a former heart-and-soul teammate, losing their captain to suspension and an emotional weekend-ending ceremony did nothing to stop the 67’s who improve to 21-18-2.

Friday, 4-2 win vs. Owen Sound

Erik Bradford’s return to Ottawa didn’t go as he would’ve hoped, going as far as to say that his new team’s performance was “just terrible.”

Travis Konecny was taken heavily into the boards midway through the third, but returned two shifts later, clearly unshaken, scoring a coast-to-coast game-winner.

Owen Sound netminder Jack Flinn had a clear look at almost all of his 36 shots against on the night, but eventually caved to the pressure.

Saturday, 3-2 (SO) win @ Peterborough

Konecny wasn’t so lucky a night later, getting ejected for a phantom slew-foot.

Leo Lazarev, the rookie netminder whose rebound control hasn’t fully developed yet, didn’t need his rebound control to be intact come shootout time.

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He made two huge saves while Travis Barron scored the game winner.

Sunday, 5-1 win vs. Peterborough

While Lazarev might be a great shootout goalie, Liam Herbst is the best third-period goalie in the conference.

On this day, he wasn’t exactly tested in the third period, only facing three shots, but it was a perfect showing of the 67’s dulling down the game through the neutral zone with a late lead.

On a day where the team honoured severely injured Junior-A local Neil Doef, it’s fitting that the officials weren’t in any mood to put up with any checks from behind, the cause of Doef’s injury.

Ben Fanjoy, playing top line minutes in Konecny’s absence, was ejected for a late check from behind on Cameron Lizotte, as he’s likely next to face suspension.

The 67’s will try to break the suspension streak as they take on Belleville this Friday.

Depth guys stepping up

Brendan Bell came awfully close to an unprecedented three consecutive Gordie Howe hattricks in the same weekend. Bell missed the mark by a lone assist on Friday and was a shoving match broken up by the officials away from doing it again on Sunday.

In Konecny’s absence on the right side, Nathan Todd and Sam Studnicka took over. Both right wingers scored on both Friday and Sunday, but it was their work away from the puck that helped the wins.

Studnicka was amazing on the penalty kill, while Todd blocked three shots in the final minute on Friday.

The performance was enough for head coach Jeff Brown to consider Studnicka as the team’s “two-way MVP” for the weekend.

Photo Credit: Valerie Wutti | Blitzen Photography