67’s Prepare For Season’s Biggest Week

If the Ottawa 67’s can extend their four-game winning streak this week, it’ll be a small miracle.

If there’s a week for fans in the Nation’s Capital to get excited about Junior hockey, it’s this one.

The NHL’s All-Star weekend may have passed but this week is essentially a gathering of OHL All-Stars, the past three first overall picks and the best team in the league all on showcase at Lansdowne.

Tonight, Oshawa @ Ottawa

Not only could the 67’s four-game winning streak be in jeopardy tonight, if these two meet in the playoffs, Ottawa’s playoff winning streak over the Generals could be snapped, too.

Oshawa has everything that’s scary in a playoff team – a big-yet-mobile defence, top-end talent in Michael Dal Colle, Tobias Lindberg and Cole Cassels, and huge power forwards that are impossible to contain in Michael McCarron and Hunter Smith.

Their goaltending isn’t as solidified as it was last year, but Ken Appelby and his five shutouts and .207 GAA don’t seem to be a problem.

This is a big team, this is a talented team, and this is a very scary team coming down the stretch.

Ottawa gets their first glimpse of the team that they’ll eventually have to meet if they want to go anywhere in the East.

Friday, Sarnia @ Ottawa

It’s a shame Pavel Zacha won’t be coming to town, especially with his draft position currently sitting right in the Senators’ wheelhouse, but Sarnia never seems to come to town without a star player.

This year’s draft is a promising one, but whoever tanks it in 2016 is getting a franchise player in Jakob Chychrun.

Jeff Brown’s defensive systems will be put to the test against the rookie defender who goes coast-to-coast seemingly whenever he desires.

Saturday, Ottawa @ Peterborough

The team Ottawa just swept in a home-in-home may act as a speed bump as they head to Peterborough between matchups with the big guns.

Sunday, Erie @ Ottawa

McDavid vs. Konecny.  Enough said.

This is the biggest head-to-head matchup Ottawa has seen since John Tavares’ arrival to town with his Oshawa Generals, the team that was originally going to wind up with the 67’s  Logan Couture.

McDavid-Konecny doesn’t have the same deep-rooted rivalry that Couture-Tavares had, but generational talents don’t exactly come to town on a regular basis.

Six points ahead of Niagara and Bellevile with games in hand on each, the 67’s are safely in the final home ice advantage playoff spot, it will be easily forgiven if they don’t pick up points against two of the league’s best.

Photo courtesy of Valerie Wutti