67’s bounce back with rout of Generals

It was a great crowd inside The Arena at TD Place, Wednesday afternoon, and the Ottawa 67’s felt the energy of all 5,182 in attendance.

“It’s more emotional,” said Head Coach Dave Cameron. “The building has been great since I’ve been here, especially all this year. We’ve had real good crowds, and the players feel it.”

The Barber Poles rode the wave to an 8-3 home victory over the Generals, with Will Gerrior netting his first career hat trick. Gavin Ewles, Jack Beck, Brady Stonehouse, Jack Matier, and Matthew Mayich also scored in the effort, with Max Donoso making 18 saves in goal, becoming the fifth netminder in team history to record 30 wins in a season.

The game’s opening moments belied how the remainder of the contest would go. With Oshawa pushing the pace, they took a 1-0 lead 5:27 in, thanks to Stuart Rolofs.

Ottawa bounced back late in the frame, however, scoring three goals in the final six minutes to take a 3-1 lead into the third.

First, it was a point shot by Ewles finding its way through for his fourth of the season. Less than three minutes later, Luca Pinelli took a pass from Cam Tolnai, and made a dazzling move while be hooked on a two-on-one to feed Gerrior, who kept up his torrid pace, for a 2-1 lead. With just under 38 seconds to go, Pavel Mintyukov made a cross-ice pass to Beck, who blasted a one-timer past Jacob Oster, making it 3-1.

They didn’t let up to begin the second, with Stonehouse taking a bumper pass from Beck on an early powerplay, and blasting home his 34th of the campaign top shelf.

A little after the midway point of the game, Matier rifled a wrist shot from the point that went off the post and in, boosting the Ottawa advantage to 5-1.

Ryan Gagnier answered on a subsequent powerplay for the Generals, but it took all of four minutes for the 67’s to regain their four-goal lead, with Mayich banking in a shorthanded goal from behind the net.

Gerrior found his second of the game at the 16:46 mark of the period, and the Barber Poles chased Oster in favour of Carter Bickle, as they led 7-2 when the puck dropped to begin the third.

Another powerplay goal by Rolofs drew Oshawa closer, but Gerrior completed the hat trick with less than eight minutes to play, making it a five-goal victory for the 67’s.

The 67’s wrap up their season series with Oshawa on Friday, visiting the Gens at 7:35pm.