Photo credit: Ottawa 67's
Last week’s blockbuster trade is already paying dividends.
New Ottawa goaltender Michael DiPietro started his first game for the 67’s and helped them win the first ever Alexandra Cup against the Gatineau Olympiques.
Ottawa split the home-and-home series versus their Quebec Junior Minor Hockey League opponents but won thanks to the goal differential (6-3 for the 67’s over the two games).
DiPietro started the second game of the Alexandra Cup at TD Place in a dominant 5-1 win. Tye Felhaber recorded another hat trick, his second in a three-game span.
Felhaber’s shot has been so accurate this season that giving him any space in the offensive zone is playing with fire. He has now found the net in six consecutive games.
However, one of his goals against Gatineau was a gift from the hockey gods. The puck was dumped into the Olympiques’ zone and goaltender Tristan Bérubé left his crease to play it but it took a weird bounce off the boards right back in front of the net. Felhaber tapped it into the wide-open net.
Austen Keating, Felhaber’s fellow lineman, tallied three assists. DiPietro recorded only a single goal against with a save percentage of 0.960%. Ottawa’s Mitchell Hoelscher finished with a goal and an assist. On his goal-scoring play, Hoelscher dipped between two defensemen and finished off his fantastic play with a backhand.
The 67’s dropped the first game of the series the night before 2-1 in Gatineau at the Robert Guertin Centre.
The Olympiques scored 35 seconds into the second period on the man advantage to take the game’s first lead, capping off a beautiful passing play with a Giordano Finoro goal. Felhaber answered less than a minute later with a power play goal of his own. He found an open spot in the slot and hammered home a one-timer off a pass from Sasha Chmelevski.
In a low-scoring affair, Gatineau needed only one more goal to clinch the victory. Jeffrey Durocher scored the game-winning goal midway through the third period and the Olympiques were able to closeout the high-powered 67’s from there.
Ottawa had a hard time getting their offense going and went only 1/6 on the power play. Cedrick Andree started in goal for the 67’s.
The game was the ‘Teddy Bear Toss’ game for the Olympiques. The minor hockey league tradition will take place in Ottawa this Saturday in the game against the Owen Sound Attack. Fans in attendance are asked to bring stuffed teddy bears with them and throw them onto the ice when the 67’s score their first goal. The bears will be donated to CHEO.
To cap the weekend, Ottawa hosted the Peterborough Petes and beat their East Division rivals 4-2. Chmelevski opened the scoring in the Sunday matchup with a power play goal midway through the opening period.
The Petes received a power play opportunity of their own shortly after and capitalized twice to give them the 2-1 lead. Ottawa found themselves with a rare deficit, something they have not had to face often this season. Needing a goal to get back in the game, who stepped up for the 67’s? Well, who do you think?
Felhaber scored two consecutive goals, one on the power play, to help Ottawa retake the lead. His first goal, an even strength mark, saw Felhaber toe drag around a Pete defenseman to get towards the net for the shot. His second, on the power play, came with space in front of him. He pulled the puck into position in the slot before unleashing a deadly wrist shot.
Merrick Rippon scored an insurance goal late in the second period and the 67’s cruised to a two-goal victory. Cedrick Andree once again started in goal, this time recording 28 saves en route to the win.
The 67’s will host the Flint Firebirds (Friday night) and Owen Sound Attack (Saturday) this weekend at TD Place. They will then travel to Peterborough for another meeting with the Petes.