You can’t ask for an OHL playoff game to get much tenser than this. After making a statement in Game 3, the Ottawa 67’s showed how even the series had become, despite the Barrie Colts’ 2-1 lead heading into Thursday night at TD Place.
Still, it was the Colts who came out on top, defeating Ottawa 3-2.
The night began well for Ottawa. The 67’s outshot Barrie to start the game, even getting a power play opportunity, but they squandered the man advantage. Shortly after, Ottawa forward Nic Sima was sent to the box for holding.
Carter Lowe buried a cross-crease pass from Stars prospect Emil Hemming, set up by Islanders prospect Kashawn Aitcheson. 1-0 Colts.
The Colts came back in the shots category, leading 20-12 after the first.
The Colts were the better team in the second period, too. Ottawa’s best opportunity of the period came on the power play nearly three minutes in, but after managing a couple of shots on the advantage, Ottawa ended the power play scoreless.
Just past the midway point of the game, Ottawan and Mammoth prospect Cole Beaudoin linked up with Stars prospect Emil Hemming, who buried the puck into the net from a similar distance as the goal he assisted on in the first to make it 2-0 Barrie.
Scouts from their respective NHL teams — the Dallas Stars and Utah Mammoth — were watching Hemming and Beaudoin. Hemming finished the game with a goal and an assist, and Beaudoin’s lone assist highlighted his strong performance that night.
The 67’s were outshot once again in the second period, 15-8. They carried a two-goal deficit into the third.
The 67’s came out firing in the third. Around five minutes into the final frame, 17-year-old Ottawa defenceman Kohyn Eshkawkogan had three shots on goal in just 30 seconds.
Despite Ottawa’s push, Barrie found their momentum. Just before the 13-minute mark, Hurricanes prospect Flip Ekberg was sent to the box for high-sticking, and 39 seconds into the man advantage, Barrie scored.
Joe Salandra picked up the puck and scored on a wraparound, giving Barrie a deflating 3-0 lead.
Despite appearing helplessly behind, Ottawa didn’t waver. With 3:10 to go, Nic Sima buried a loose puck into the net on the two-man advantage after a chaotic scramble in front of Barrie’s net. 3-1.
Still on the power play, 67’s head coach Dave Cameron called a timeout to decide what Ottawa had to do in the final minutes of regulation. Just over a minute later, Frankie Marrelli’s shot from up top got through, cutting the Colts’ lead to one. 3-2.
The 67’s needed just one more goal to complete the comeback and avoid a daunting 3-1 series deficit. With 1:17 to go, Cameron pulled goalie Ryder Fetterolf for an extra attacker. Fetterolf had another excellent outing, stopping 40 of 43 shots on the night.
With the net empty, Ottawa pushed. Inside the final minute, Colts captain Cole Beaudoin got the puck and raced into the neutral zone, looking to bury an insurance marker. Frankie Marrelli, right behind him, chased Beaudoin and reached with his stick, tripping him and taking a penalty.
Ottawa regained possession and pulled their goalie again with 40 seconds left in regulation to get back to even strength. The 67’s pushed desperately, and with less than ten seconds to go, Eshkawkogan wired a shot into traffic that was expertly backheel-deflected by Ondrej Ruml, right to the stick of Spencer Bowes, who had a wide-open net.
Bowes shot the puck, and it crossed the goal line — still in the blue paint — but inches wide of the right post. TD Place sat in disbelief as time ran out. Barrie took a 3-1 series lead.
“I told him after the game that if that’s the worst thing that happens in his life, he’s had a good life,” Cameron calmly said after the game. “There’s nothing my team’s not doing.”
After the game, a dejected Fetterolf walked out of the locker room accompanied by his teammates. A security guard hugged him and his teammate and muttered. “Keep pushing, boys.”
Cameron has weathered his fair share of storms as a coach. He recently served as head coach of Canada’s world junior team and faced a similar 3-1 series deficit as head coach of the Ottawa Senators in 2015.
“There’s no magic. We know how we have to play. We got a hundred points this year,” Cameron said.
“That’s your challenge now, and that’s what makes playoffs special. It’s a matter of just finding a way to come out on the other side.”
The 67’s head to Sadlon Arena on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., looking to force a Game 6.
Featured image by Simon McKeown/the Charlatan
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