Photo credit: Getty Images
Ottawa’s remarkable start to the season continued this past week.
They won all three of their games to extend their win streak to six. The first-place 67’s have not lost a game in regulation since October 3rd, a span of 13 games.
The 67’s faced off against three West Division teams, all on the road. If the weekend’s performance demonstrated anything, it was Ottawa’s ability to win any type of game. They scored seven goals against Flint and eight against Saginaw but needed their star goaltender to deliver Thursday night in Windsor.
Cedrick Andree recorded his first career OHL shutout in the 1-0 win over the Spitfires. It was a highlight-ridden duel between both goalies, as Andree stopped 26 shots and Windsor’s Michael DiPietro halted 19.
Tye Felhaber scored the lone goal of the game with his 17th of the season. Austen Keating fed Felhaber in the slot, where he ripped a perfect wrist shot top shelf.
Saturday night against Flint, the 67’s took advantage of the OHL’s worst penalty kill. Ottawa scored on all three of their power play opportunities en route to a 7-4 victory.
As expected with the team scoring seven goals, many 67’s filled up the stat sheet offensively. Seven Ottawa forwards finished with at least two points. Keating had two goals (one on the power play) and an assist and Graeme Clark scored two goals of his own. Clark’s goals were the first two of the hockey game, both coming in the first period. Felhaber and Sasha Chmelevski both finished with a goal and two assists each.
The Firebirds were able to keep it close, even tying the game up 3-3 at one point, but fell behind in the second half of the game. Ottawa finished with 50 shots on goal, compared to Flint’s 31. The last-place Firebirds remain winless on the season.
Ottawa did not have any trouble finding the net the following night either. The 67’s beat the Saginaw Spirit 8-2 Sunday night. They scored the game’s first seven goals, many of them from the usual suspects, and received goals from all four of their forward lines.
Felhaber scored his 19th of the season, Keating his seventh, Clark his ninth and Marco Rossi his 10th. All eight Ottawa goals came from different scorers. 18-year-old Sam Bitten scored his first goal of the season, a power play marker in the first period.
Andree was in net to pick up his third win of the week. He sits first in the OHL in wins (13) and fifth in goals against average (2.48). Because of their dominant weekend, four 67’s now rank in the OHL’s top five in plus-minus: Felhaber, Keating, Rossi and defenseman Merrick Rippon.
This week, the 67’s will host the Kingston Frontenacs at TD Place on Wednesday night and then head to Oshawa to take on the Generals (Friday night) and Barrie to matchup with the Colts (Sunday night).
