Ottawa 67's 2022-23 Off-Season Thread (Part 4)

[BigHitter67]

67s were lacklustre today. Is what it is. Young teams sometimes don’t come to play. Youth can be exposed when less than a 100% effort is made.

Costantini needs to play as the puck mover not the defensive safety net. Simple as that. Sirman needs to play with him and stop the nonsense of playing a 2nd pairing D-Man as a 4th line winger. Sirman didn’t get his heavy +/-playing 4th line wing.

Play Marrelli with Mintyukov 5 on 5. Mews shouldn’t even dress. He’s slow with decisions in the defensive zone and as the playoffs progress, his decision making time continues to be a shorter window.

The bottom line is the 67s played not to lose today. Play to win and start making smarter decisions behind the bench. 3:30 left in a game down by 2 and Cameron is rolling the 4th line? Nonsense. Play to win. Garbage.

Boys lose 2-1 and your primary issue is with a Dman ( Mews ) ?? That’s kinda funny

 

[OMG67]

Boys lose 2-1 and your primary issue is with a Dman ( Mews ) ?? That’s kinda funny

The issue isn’t Mews. The issue is Cameron throwing out young guys mishandling pucks continually. We are getting to the point that it’s going to get more difficult for Mews with the style of his game and his strengths not suited for playoff hockey as a 16 year old.

I also have an issue with Costantini as the defensive conscience for Mintyukov. Him and Sirman were awesome together because Sirman backed him up and let him move more freely. The only reason to play Sirman as a forward is to make room for Mews.

It is bad strategy, not jus defensively but offensively. If they want to dress Mews as the 7th D-Man and play him on the PP and in less vulnerable situations, cool. But it is getting really hard watching Costantini and Mews playing away from their strengths. It is hurting puck movement as well as keeping them hemmed in their own zone too much.

I think we’ve seen enough for the last 6-8 weeks with no change in their success. It’s time to play smart and put guys where they belong. If that means they shorten the bench to 3 lines and spot Barlas on the wing here and there then so be it. It’s the playoffs. They play one time back to back in each series. It’s not like they are playing 3 in 3s.

EDIT:
I want to be clear. I am not picking on Mews and Costantini. Both are good players. I jsut think they are being tasked in a manner neither are suited. They have strengths and weaknesses just like all players. Those two in particular are bing asked to play in situations that expose their weaknesses and don’t provide opportunity for success In the best possible way.

Additionally, it isn’t about the score. The Petes didn’t play inspired hockey today either. No disrespect to them but they didnt’ push the play much. I felt Ottawa had more overall puck possession. They didn’t press and push hard enough to take advantage. Peterborough is going to play much better the next two games at home than they played today. If the expectation is that Ottawa needs to simply up their game one notch, they’d be sadly mistaken. The Petes have two additional gears to add to today. That means Ottawa needs to crank it up three gears, not one. Time for Cameron to get serious and stop with the rolling four lines and shorten the bench. With Boucher out, they don’t have the depth to do that successfully against the stronger teams.

 

[beastintheeast]

The issue isn’t Mews. The issue is Cameron throwing out young guys mishandling pucks continually. We are getting to the point that it’s going to get more difficult for Mews with the style of his game and his strengths not suited for playoff hockey as a 16 year old.

I also have an issue with Costantini as the defensive conscience for Mintyukov. Him and Sirman were awesome together because Sirman backed him up and let him move more freely. The only reason to play Sirman as a forward is to make room for Mews.

It is bad strategy, not jus defensively but offensively. If they want to dress Mews as the 7th D-Man and play him on the PP and in less vulnerable situations, cool. But it is getting really hard watching Costantini and Mews playing away from their strengths. It is hurting puck movement as well as keeping them hemmed in their own zone too much.

I think we’ve seen enough for the last 6-8 weeks with no change in their success. It’s time to play smart and put guys where they belong. If that means they shorten the bench to 3 lines and spot Barlas on the wing here and there then so be it. It’s the playoffs. They play one time back to back in each series. It’s not like they are playing 3 in 3s.

EDIT:
I want to be clear. I am not picking on Mews and Costantini. Both are good players. I jsut think they are being tasked in a manner neither are suited. They have strengths and weaknesses just like all players. Those two in particular are bing asked to play in situations that expose their weaknesses and don’t provide opportunity for success In the best possible way.

Additionally, it isn’t about the score. The Petes didn’t play inspired hockey today either. No disrespect to them but they didnt’ push the play much. I felt Ottawa had more overall puck possession. They didn’t press and push hard enough to take advantage. Peterborough is going to play much better the next two games at home than they played today. If the expectation is that Ottawa needs to simply up their game one notch, they’d be sadly mistaken. The Petes have two additional gears to add to today. That means Ottawa needs to crank it up three gears, not one. Time for Cameron to get serious and stop with the rolling four lines and shorten the bench. With Boucher out, they don’t have the depth to do that successfully against the stronger teams.

The Petes realize that they do not have the fire power of a lot of teams so they are playing the long game. They have titghtened up their defence and are willing to wait for other teams to make mistakes then capatialize.

They really have only 1 line that you have to watch for but if the rest of the team plays low scoring games and they can get the first goal then they are set.

There may be in issue with Or Defence but you can not in any league win a game when you have 10 shots in 2 periods.

That is making it too easy for the other team goalie.

This is a team that needs the FORWARDS TO GET THEIR HEAD OUR OF THE ORIFICE AND SHOOT THE PUCK.
You may not score n the initial shot but we know that there are going to be rebounds deflections and all sorts of stuff.

If you think the defence is misplaced the solution is easy keep the Petes in their own end.

Mews Matier Mintykov and Marelli are leading the D in plus minus Constantini and Sirman are the worst players on the team.

OMG you said it before this is a Petes team that is hell to beat if they get the lead especially if it is a 2 goal lead. On the flip side they suck if they fall 2 goals behind.

Taking 7 shots at a goalie (and remember anything that is on net no matter how pathetic is a shot) is not gong to win a hockey game.

 

[analyser]

The Petes realize that they do not have the fire power of a lot of teams so they are playing the long game. They have titghtened up their defence and are willing to wait for other teams to make mistakes then capatialize.

They really have only 1 line that you have to watch for but if the rest of the team plays low scoring games and they can get the first goal then they are set.

There may be in issue with Or Defence but you can not in any league win a game when you have 10 shots in 2 periods.

That is making it too easy for the other team goalie.

This is a team that needs the FORWARDS TO GET THEIR HEAD OUR OF THE ORIFICE AND SHOOT THE PUCK.
You may not score n the initial shot but we know that there are going to be rebounds deflections and all sorts of stuff.

If you think the defence is misplaced the solution is easy keep the Petes in their own end.

Mews Matier Mintykov and Marelli are leading the D in plus minus Constantini and Sirman are the worst players on the team.

OMG you said it before this is a Petes team that is hell to beat if they get the lead especially if it is a 2 goal lead. On the flip side they suck if they fall 2 goals behind.

Taking 7 shots at a goalie (and remember anything that is on net no matter how pathetic is a shot) is not gong to win a hockey game.

I agree and like I said previously this passing continuously looking for the perfect shot did not produce. You are down two goals for aĺl but 8 seconds of the last 2 periods and manage to get 10 shots over this time. You had the pressure on in the first period but no positive results so then it is over. Many a time they came into the offensive zone with possession, but all that happens is pass across the ice, pass back to the defence, over to the other d-man, back down low and then lose possession.

Faceoffs on the start of a powerplay are never won by the 67s. Immediately Petes get possession and their goes 20 to 25 seconds right off the top.

They better address some issues fast and get headed in a positive direction. Cameron stray a liitle from your 4 lines and 6 D routine and adjust as the situation dictates. You do not have all year to think about it, you have to win 4 of 7 within a short period of time.

 

[OMG67]

The Petes realize that they do not have the fire power of a lot of teams so they are playing the long game. They have titghtened up their defence and are willing to wait for other teams to make mistakes then capatialize.

They really have only 1 line that you have to watch for but if the rest of the team plays low scoring games and they can get the first goal then they are set.

There may be in issue with Or Defence but you can not in any league win a game when you have 10 shots in 2 periods.

That is making it too easy for the other team goalie.

This is a team that needs the FORWARDS TO GET THEIR HEAD OUR OF THE ORIFICE AND SHOOT THE PUCK.
You may not score n the initial shot but we know that there are going to be rebounds deflections and all sorts of stuff.

If you think the defence is misplaced the solution is easy keep the Petes in their own end.

Mews Matier Mintykov and Marelli are leading the D in plus minus Constantini and Sirman are the worst players on the team.

OMG you said it before this is a Petes team that is hell to beat if they get the lead especially if it is a 2 goal lead. On the flip side they suck if they fall 2 goals behind.

Taking 7 shots at a goalie (and remember anything that is on net no matter how pathetic is a shot) is not gong to win a hockey game.

The 67’s took a lot of shots. The Petes did a great job blocking them. Don’t look too closely at the shot clock and use that as a metric for performance. The 67’s easily won the first period from a puck possession perspective. They chopped the 2nd and 3rd periods. Peterborough took very few shots but a lot of them go to Donoso but the majority were perimeter shots. One got through. The other goal was a 2 on 1 where Costantini neglected to stop the cross pass.

The Petes didn’t play a great game. They didn’t play “their“ game. They played a game that won. If the Petes play that game and the 67’s actually put forth some sort of reasonable effort, they will win this series going away. The Petes have far more in them than what they gave yesterday.

The Petes have two excellent lines. Each of them are highly competent. Man to man, their top two lines are better than Ottawa’s. Ottawa has the ability to generate much more offence from the defence, especially when they get their motor going. They also have a better defence. They pressure pucks well and prevent opportunities. That is Ottawa’s strength.

The 67’s limited the Petes to a small handful of scoring opportunities. The 67’s had more scoring opportunities but the Petes managed to block a lot of shots in tight and prevented the puck from rattling around in front. When they did have pucks rattling around in front, Simpson made the saves. He’s a good goalie. He’ll make the first save most times.

Both teams played not to lose. It was a boring game. Zero real excitement. I look at yesterday as a winnable game if Ottawa had committed to playing 60 minutes. They didn’t so they got what they deserved.

I expect a much better effort by both teams for the two games in Peterborough. But, I also expect Cameron to make adjustments. He can’t continually roll out the same rag-tag lineup making the same mistakes and expect a different outcome.

 

[44 95 plus tax]

Its clear Mintyukov is frustrated that they haven't been able to (or wont) use his offensive talents. There were a few times today that the forward failed to get him a pass on a give and go and he just skated off shaking his head.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

The 67’s took a lot of shots. The Petes did a great job blocking them. Don’t look too closely at the shot clock and use that as a metric for performance. The 67’s easily won the first period from a puck possession perspective. They chopped the 2nd and 3rd periods. Peterborough took very few shots but a lot of them go to Donoso but the majority were perimeter shots. One got through. The other goal was a 2 on 1 where Costantini neglected to stop the cross pass.

The Petes didn’t play a great game. They didn’t play “their“ game. They played a game that won. If the Petes play that game and the 67’s actually put forth some sort of reasonable effort, they will win this series going away. The Petes have far more in them than what they gave yesterday.

The Petes have two excellent lines. Each of them are highly competent. Man to man, their top two lines are better than Ottawa’s. Ottawa has the ability to generate much more offence from the defence, especially when they get their motor going. They also have a better defence. They pressure pucks well and prevent opportunities. That is Ottawa’s strength.

The 67’s limited the Petes to a small handful of scoring opportunities. The 67’s had more scoring opportunities but the Petes managed to block a lot of shots in tight and prevented the puck from rattling around in front. When they did have pucks rattling around in front, Simpson made the saves. He’s a good goalie. He’ll make the first save most times.

Both teams played not to lose. It was a boring game. Zero real excitement. I look at yesterday as a winnable game if Ottawa had committed to playing 60 minutes. They didn’t so they got what they deserved.

I expect a much better effort by both teams for the two games in Peterborough. But, I also expect Cameron to make adjustments. He can’t continually roll out the same rag-tag lineup making the same mistakes and expect a different outcome.

What adjustments can we realistically expect from Cameron? I for one do not believe it is realistic at this point in the season to expect Cameron to put Sirman back on defense, although I 100% agree that that move should probably happen and that it should also involve adjusting the pairings such that Mintyukov is paired with a more defensively-reliable partner. Constantini has his strengths and weaknesses, but only his weaknesses are apparent in his play right now, and he's not the same defenseman he was at the beginning of the season (he hasn't been since Mintyukov's arrival honestly). He misplayed the 2-on-1 that resulted in the Othmann goal yesterday, and fumbled the puck around in the high slot late in the 3rd that should have at least resulted in a shot on goal. He's not playing good hockey right now unfortunately. I like the idea of giving Marrelli more responsibility, honestly, he's our 4th best defenseman at the moment and is playing with some piss & vinegar.

Offensively, at least Cameron shuffled the lines yesterday. Rohrer with Morrison & Beck. Tolnai with Stonehouse & Pinelli. They just couldn't get anything going...as has been said above, too many passes in the o-zone resulting in fumbled passes, the puck dribbling out of the o-zone, or the Petes defenders getting a stick on it. Not enough puck battles being won along the boards. The Petes were really good yesterday at getting in the way of shots from the point or high slot. They were more mindful of the cross-ice passes and eliminated many of those opportunities. Their defensive play was really sound and a big upgrade from game 1...good coaching on Peterborough's part. The Petes defenders won the substantial majority of board battles and are stronger physically. My opinion is the 67s need to get more bodies in front of Simpson and fight harder for loose pucks and rebounds. I don't think they've been doing a great job at that. Rohrer, Stonehouse, Gerrior...that's their bread and butter. They need to accept that they'll need to pay a physical price for getting into the middle and battling in front but I don't think they've done that enough yet. Simplify the PP...get Matier and Mintyukov on the 1st unit with Morrison, Beck and Rohrer and focus on getting Matier point looks or Morrison looks from the high slot. Rohrer goes hard to the net, Beck available for a one-timer or long rebound, Mintykov for give-and go's.

One thing the 67s can potentially exploit is the Pete defenders' gap control...they're not as sound defensively on the rush. The 67s penetrated the o-zone fairly easily...they just couldn't generate enough opportunities while there as, again, the Petes were winning the board battles and the 67s were looking for the perfect passing play when they did have possession. Getting off the boards and into the middle of the ice is the best way to generate prime scoring opportunities and the 67s just weren't able to do that enough yesterday. This won't be an easy series for either team; the 67s were able to exploit some glaring deficiencies in Oshawa's defensive coverage that simply don't exist now with Peterborough. Goals will be much tougher to come by and will need to be earned.

 

[OMG67]

What adjustments can we realistically expect from Cameron? I for one do not believe it is realistic at this point in the season to expect Cameron to put Sirman back on defense, although I 100% agree that that move should probably happen and that it should also involve adjusting the pairings such that Mintyukov is paired with a more defensively-reliable partner. Constantini has his strengths and weaknesses, but only his weaknesses are apparent in his play right now, and he's not the same defenseman he was at the beginning of the season (he hasn't been since Mintyukov's arrival honestly). He misplayed the 2-on-1 that resulted in the Othmann goal yesterday, and fumbled the puck around in the high slot late in the 3rd that should have at least resulted in a shot on goal. He's not playing good hockey right now unfortunately. I like the idea of giving Marrelli more responsibility, honestly, he's our 4th best defenseman at the moment and is playing with some piss & vinegar.

Offensively, at least Cameron shuffled the lines yesterday. Rohrer with Morrison & Beck. Tolnai with Stonehouse & Pinelli. They just couldn't get anything going...as has been said above, too many passes in the o-zone resulting in fumbled passes, the puck dribbling out of the o-zone, or the Petes defenders getting a stick on it. Not enough puck battles being won along the boards. The Petes were really good yesterday at getting in the way of shots from the point or high slot. They were more mindful of the cross-ice passes and eliminated many of those opportunities. Their defensive play was really sound and a big upgrade from game 1...good coaching on Peterborough's part. The Petes defenders won the substantial majority of board battles and are stronger physically. My opinion is the 67s need to get more bodies in front of Simpson and fight harder for loose pucks and rebounds. I don't think they've been doing a great job at that. Rohrer, Stonehouse, Gerrior...that's their bread and butter. They need to accept that they'll need to pay a physical price for getting into the middle and battling in front but I don't think they've done that enough yet. Simplify the PP...get Matier and Mintyukov on the 1st unit with Morrison, Beck and Rohrer and focus on getting Matier point looks or Morrison looks from the high slot. Rohrer goes hard to the net, Beck available for a one-timer or long rebound, Mintykov for give-and go's.

One thing the 67s can potentially exploit is the Pete defenders' gap control...they're not as sound defensively on the rush. The 67s penetrated the o-zone fairly easily...they just couldn't generate enough opportunities while there as, again, the Petes were winning the board battles and the 67s were looking for the perfect passing play when they did have possession. Getting off the boards and into the middle of the ice is the best way to generate prime scoring opportunities and the 67s just weren't able to do that enough yesterday. This won't be an easy series for either team; the 67s were able to exploit some glaring deficiencies in Oshawa's defensive coverage that simply don't exist now with Peterborough. Goals will be much tougher to come by and will need to be earned.

The 67’s are having difficulty with their lack of size overall. Gerrior is small. He needs a seem to exploit but the Petes are a far better team than Oshawa. No seems down low for him to get into. Same for Stonehouse, although Stonehouse is still more effective.

I agree that it is unlikely Sirman moves back to defence. But, jsut because he likely won’t doesn’t mean he shouldn’t. The reason why he was moved to forward was because they acquired Mintyukov and didn’t want to sit Marrelli or Mews to make room for Mintyukov. So, Sirman goes to forward. It is no longer a time to ensure the 16 year olds get ice time to develop. IT is about winning in the playoffs. Costantini is not playing up to his previously demonstrated level. So, either his role reverts back to what it was prior to Mintyukov being added or he is removed from the starting roster. Either way, something needs to change. I’m as big of a Costantini fan as there is. I championed Belanger getting dealt last year at the deadline. I championed keeping Costantini this year as an OA. I still have faith in him. But, he needs to play a more offensive role, not defensive to be effective. If Cameron continues to roll him out with Mintyukov to play the 5th man, I can’t see that working out well.

If Gerrior is unable to penetrate then I think it may be time to condense the lines. Get Gardiner with Foster and Gerrior as a third line playing 14 minutes or so and load up the top two lines for 23 minutes each.

Beck - Morrison - Rohrer
Pinelli - Tolnai - Stonehouse
Foster - Gardiner - Gerrior

I think the 3rd line is responsible enough that if they have the Matier/Mayich pairing on when they are on the ice for faceoffs, they will at least keep the puck out of our net. The top two lines as configured would be more of a handful for the better teams like Peterborough, Barrie and North Bay.

 

[ottawarenegader613]

I was at the game yesterday and despite the crappy OHL officiating once again, the 67s reverted back to their old habit of trying to look for the perfect play instead of shooting the puck to create traffic or pounce on a rebound in front of Petes goalie Michael Simpson and his defence. Even some people in my section yelled for the 67s to "shoot, shoot, shoot" several times with one guy yelling "why the f they keep back passing the puck" in the dying seconds of the game. That was what doomed their power play dropping from #1 to #6 during the regular season. I guess the stingy Petes defence finally caught up to the 67s.

What really frustrated me was when 67s defenceman Anthony Constantini decided to pass the puck when he had a wide open lane to shoot at against Petes goalie Simpson in the 2nd period. I concur with others that Constantini isn't having a good playoff run despite being his last year in the league as a overager. Maybe the two years of playing post covid didn't give him the experience needed in the playoffs.

Coach Cameron better find a way to counter the Petes D in order for 67s to shoot the puck more instead of playing this perfect play mentality, or else they could wind up joining the Windsor Spitfires as another top team to be eliminated in the playoffs. The Peterborough Petes are a much different animal than the Oshawa Generals when it comes to counter attacks and the 67s better beware of this in the next games during this series.

 

[Race Dawg]

Both teams played not to lose. It was a boring game. Zero real excitement. I look at yesterday as a winnable game if Ottawa had committed to playing 60 minutes. They didn’t so they got what they deserved.

The OHL has become a boringfest mostly in recent years. I've seen a few Ottawa games this year where it is fast-paced but overall the the play is quite sedentary. The ol firewagon hockey of yesteryear is gone but I guess I am getting old as us early Gen Xers can relate to more of an appreciation for old time hockey the way we had it in the 70's, 80's and 90's. There seems to be more parity in hockey at all levels especially in junior hockey.

 

[analyser]

I was at the game yesterday and despite the crappy OHL officiating once again, the 67s reverted back to their old habit of trying to look for the perfect play instead of shooting the puck to create traffic or pounce on a rebound in front of Petes goalie Michael Simpson and his defence. Even some people in my section yelled for the 67s to "shoot, shoot, shoot" several times with one guy yelling "why the f they keep back passing the puck" in the dying seconds of the game. That was what doomed their power play dropping from #1 to #6 during the regular season. I guess the stingy Petes defence finally caught up to the 67s.

What really frustrated me was when 67s defenceman Anthony Constantini decided to pass the puck when he had a wide open lane to shoot at against Petes goalie Simpson in the 2nd period. I concur with others that Constantini isn't having a good playoff run despite being his last year in the league as a overager. Maybe the two years of playing post covid didn't give him the experience needed in the playoffs.

Coach Cameron better find a way to counter the Petes D in order for 67s to shoot the puck more instead of playing this perfect play mentality, or else they could wind up joining the Windsor Spitfires as another top team to be eliminated in the playoffs. The Peterborough Petes are a much different animal than the Oshawa Generals when it comes to counter attacks and the 67s better beware of this in the next games during this series.

The 67s realignment of players will do dick if we do not execute, give 110% effort and make the Pete's D feel uncomfortable. Maybe Constanti needs to sit for a couple of games to get his thought process back on track. I know lots of people are Constantii supporters, I for one am not and never was.

Hopefully we can turn it around or it will be disappointing for the fans. I know a lot of fans who do not follow hockey in depth think we have to win as we had over 100 points. Following hockey a lot gives you the insight to realize that their really is not a clean cut favorite this playoff season.

 

[ecraigs]

I was at the game yesterday and despite the crappy OHL officiating once again, the 67s reverted back to their old habit of trying to look for the perfect play instead of shooting the puck to create traffic or pounce on a rebound in front of Petes goalie Michael Simpson and his defence. Even some people in my section yelled for the 67s to "shoot, shoot, shoot" several times with one guy yelling "why the f they keep back passing the puck" in the dying seconds of the game. That was what doomed their power play dropping from #1 to #6 during the regular season. I guess the stingy Petes defence finally caught up to the 67s.

On Friday, Ottawa scored its first goal off a rebound that Morrison created with a well-placed shot. Yesterday, they scored by following up on a lost faceoff and jamming the puck in. But, when you cannot manage a shot in 13 minutes, down 2-0, what can I say?

The OHL has become a boringfest mostly in recent years. I've seen a few Ottawa games this year where it is fast-paced but overall the the play is quite sedentary. The ol firewagon hockey of yesteryear is gone but I guess I am getting old as us early Gen Xers can relate to more of an appreciation for old time hockey the way we had it in the 70's, 80's and 90's. There seems to be more parity in hockey at all levels especially in junior hockey.

Welcome to cookie-cutter hockey development. Everybody is learning the same things to play very similar systems. How does a team rise above the others?

 

[OMG67]

The 67s realignment of players will do dick if we do not execute, give 110% effort and make the Pete's D feel uncomfortable. Maybe Constanti needs to sit for a couple of games to get his thought process back on track. I know lots of people are Constantii supporters, I for one am not and never was.

Hopefully we can turn it around or it will be disappointing for the fans. I know a lot of fans who do not follow hockey in depth think we have to win as we had over 100 points. Following hockey a lot gives you the insight to realize that their really is not a clean cut favorite this playoff season.

I think all players need to find their purpose and then have a coach that matches that purpose with opportunity. In Costantini’s situation, he was paired in the first half with Sirman. As a RHD that had the ability to generate offence and not worry as much about the defensive side of the puck, he produced admirably. When Mintyukov was added, there was no true pairing to make it work. Mintyukov is a LHD which means he’d typically benefit playing with a RHD. So, Matier, Costantini or Mews. Later Horner. Clearly they want to try to have Matier and Mintyukov on separate pairings to spread the strength. I agree. But, Costantini was the most experienced RHD so he’s the guy they used. The problem is it has not worked out as planned. So, IMO, you put two LHD together. So be it. the 2019 team that went to the Finals had SEVEN LHD and ZERO RHD. I’m sure a player as gifted as Mintyukov can play on his off wing while a defensively responsible kid like Sirman can play as the defensively responsible player. Then play Costantini with Marrelli as the 3rd pairing. Problem SHOULD be solved.

I agree 100% about the parity in this season. The 67’s are not a 100 point team. I’ve been saying that for quite some time. They are too young and inexperienced to assume they will roll over the Conference. The top 4 teams int he east all have a shot. I think Ottawa is a better “team” than Peterborough so I have them as the favourites but if Ottawa gets through Peterborough and faces North Bay, I have Ottawa as the underdog.

 

[OMG67]

The OHL has become a boringfest mostly in recent years. I've seen a few Ottawa games this year where it is fast-paced but overall the the play is quite sedentary. The ol firewagon hockey of yesteryear is gone but I guess I am getting old as us early Gen Xers can relate to more of an appreciation for old time hockey the way we had it in the 70's, 80's and 90's. There seems to be more parity in hockey at all levels especially in junior hockey.

I don’t fully agree. I think Dave Camron’s style of play lends itself to boring hockey when the team he is coaching isn‘t pressing offensively.

The 67’s have a tendency of falling into a lull of trying not to lose. Their first responsibility is to defend. That is Cameron’s philosophy. Then the quality of the horses determines the level of offence that can spring from their defensive mindset. If those horses sort of fall asleep and lose drive, they will still be solid defensively but won’t be able to do what is necessary to score. They lose puck possession and end up chasing more than forcing the play. That’s what happened last game. That’s what happened in three of the Oshawa games at times. Just sort of worry too much about their own end and not enough about pressing at the offensive blueline.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

The 67’s are having difficulty with their lack of size overall. Gerrior is small. He needs a seem to exploit but the Petes are a far better team than Oshawa. No seems down low for him to get into. Same for Stonehouse, although Stonehouse is still more effective.

I agree that it is unlikely Sirman moves back to defence. But, jsut because he likely won’t doesn’t mean he shouldn’t. The reason why he was moved to forward was because they acquired Mintyukov and didn’t want to sit Marrelli or Mews to make room for Mintyukov. So, Sirman goes to forward. It is no longer a time to ensure the 16 year olds get ice time to develop. IT is about winning in the playoffs. Costantini is not playing up to his previously demonstrated level. So, either his role reverts back to what it was prior to Mintyukov being added or he is removed from the starting roster. Either way, something needs to change. I’m as big of a Costantini fan as there is. I championed Belanger getting dealt last year at the deadline. I championed keeping Costantini this year as an OA. I still have faith in him. But, he needs to play a more offensive role, not defensive to be effective. If Cameron continues to roll him out with Mintyukov to play the 5th man, I can’t see that working out well.

If Gerrior is unable to penetrate then I think it may be time to condense the lines. Get Gardiner with Foster and Gerrior as a third line playing 14 minutes or so and load up the top two lines for 23 minutes each.

Beck - Morrison - Rohrer
Pinelli - Tolnai - Stonehouse
Foster - Gardiner - Gerrior

I think the 3rd line is responsible enough that if they have the Matier/Mayich pairing on when they are on the ice for faceoffs, they will at least keep the puck out of our net. The top two lines as configured would be more of a handful for the better teams like Peterborough, Barrie and North Bay.

The 67s forwards are indeed small. That's a fact. Gerrior and Stonehouse were machines against Oshawa but as you said, they're having a lot of difficulty finding space to operate or lanes to get in on the forecheck. Gerrior has been largely invisible this series, and Gardiner has been getting muscled off the puck quite easily. The configuration you have above is what Cameron went with in the latter half of the game yesterday. I'd suggest giving Barlas and Sirman (who I don't think will get moved back to D at this point...though I agree with you that he should) the odd shift here and there...neutral zone starts preferably.

I agree on Sirman; I don't think Cameron will make that change now. Working with what we have, what are your views on Smyth? Cameron most likely wants Smyth in the lineup as #7D in case things get out of hand or Peterborough takes liberties with our guys (to date neither team has shown any indication they want to play that game...yet) and he obviously lacks puck skill, but he's been reasonably solid defensively since his return, can play a physical brand of defense, and has a nice long reach. Assuming Sirman stays at forward and remains a better option (for defensive purposes) than Dever or Kelly, what about:

Mayich - Matier
Mintyukov - Marrelli
Smyth - Constantini
Mews

Constantini can be the offensive driver on that 3rd pairing, with Smyth providing the more physical, defensive-minded presence. In critical situations where we're behind Cameron could flip Constantini back with Minty and roll 4 D if needed. Or, pair Minty + Matier, and Mayich + Constantini. That would work too I think.

The pairings as they are aren't optimized and a few of the D are under-performing, so imo Cameron needs to try something to get things back on track.

 

[OMG67]

The 67s forwards are indeed small. That's a fact. Gerrior and Stonehouse were machines against Oshawa but as you said, they're having a lot of difficulty finding space to operate or lanes to get in on the forecheck. Gerrior has been largely invisible this series, and Gardiner has been getting muscled off the puck quite easily. The configuration you have above is what Cameron went with in the latter half of the game yesterday. I'd suggest giving Barlas and Sirman (who I don't think will get moved back to D at this point...though I agree with you that he should) the odd shift here and there...neutral zone starts preferably.

I agree on Sirman; I don't think Cameron will make that change now. Working with what we have, what are your views on Smyth? Cameron most likely wants Smyth in the lineup as #7D in case things get out of hand or Peterborough takes liberties with our guys (to date neither team has shown any indication they want to play that game...yet) and he obviously lacks puck skill, but he's been reasonably solid defensively since his return, can play a physical brand of defense, and has a nice long reach. Assuming Sirman stays at forward and remains a better option (for defensive purposes) than Dever or Kelly, what about:

Mayich - Matier
Mintyukov - Marrelli
Smyth - Constantini
Mews

Constantini can be the offensive driver on that 3rd pairing, with Smyth providing the more physical, defensive-minded presence. In critical situations where we're behind Cameron could flip Constantini back with Minty and roll 4 D if needed. Or, pair Minty + Matier, and Mayich + Constantini. That would work too I think.

The pairings as they are aren't optimized and a few of the D are under-performing, so imo Cameron needs to try something to get things back on track.

I really can only comment on how I think things should be. Sirman was the #4 D-Man with a gap between him and #5 at the Christmas break. Him and Costantini made a solid pairing. That’s what it should be.

Barring that, I would do any other pairing that puts Costantini back as the puck mover if he is paired with a stay at home guy.

I am not sure Smyth can handle the speed. But, until they play together for a few periods, I wouldn’t know. Only guessing.

To me, playing Sirman as a spot forward is a waste of ability. I could understand it when we had injuries, players gone at tourneys etc. But now? I don’t get it. Play your top 6 D-Men.

And this goes back to the deadline when we were overloaded on defence. If we were seriously looking at Sirman as a forward by necessity, they should have moved him for a forward. They’d have gotten a better forward than what Sirman is. To me, the only reason not to move him is so you’d have the safety net of returning him to defence. Well, as Michael Buffer would say pre-fight, “It’s Time!”

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Looking at the series from Peterborough's perspective, how do we think they're feeling? What adjustments do we think they need to consider for game 3 at home? Both teams have been very stingy defensively...not counting Ottawa's EN, each team has scored 4 goals. Ottawa has controlled possession for much of the first 2 games but hasn't been able to capitalize on that with goals. Peterborough has taken advantage of some Ottawa defensive lapses and has been opportunistic in that respect, but hasn't been able to sustain o-zone possession or create all that many prime scoring opportunities. Simpson has been the better goalie.

If I'm Peterborough, I like the defensive posture in game 2 and the ability to cut-off shooting and passing lanes, get bodies or sticks on pucks, win board battles and eliminate Ottawa's net front presence. Gap control and zone entry is perhaps an issue they need to work on. But I'm probably not thrilled with o-zone possession time or ability to create turnovers on the forecheck or really work a cycle down low. The way I see it, Peterborough's forwards go in hard on the forecheck, finish their checks hard and clean, but haven't really been able to create turnovers or sustained pressure from those efforts.

PPs for both teams have been anemic.

The play has been a little tentative and boring so far. Peterborough has played two good road games and got rewarded with a win.

I agree with OMG above in that Peterborough should be expected to raise their level of play a few notches at home ice. Ottawa needs to be ready for that and respond accordingly. For Peterborough, they must be feeling some measure of confidence taking 1 game in Ottawa. At this point they're in the driver seat imo. Ottawa needs to respond tomorrow/Thursday and we've talked here about adjustments they can make. But what does Peterborough need to do? Cameron is going to figure some of this stuff out and I don't think "sit and wait for Ottawa to make a mistake and capitalize on it" is a viable strategy against a team of Ottawa's calibre. Pretty quiet on the Peterborough board so I thought I'd get some views here.

 

[ottawarenegader613]

Well, as Michael Buffer would say pre-fight, “It’s Time!”

That's Bruce Buffer.....IT'S TIME!!!

 

[OMG67]

Looking at the series from Peterborough's perspective, how do we think they're feeling? What adjustments do we think they need to consider for game 3 at home? Both teams have been very stingy defensively...not counting Ottawa's EN, each team has scored 4 goals. Ottawa has controlled possession for much of the first 2 games but hasn't been able to capitalize on that with goals. Peterborough has taken advantage of some Ottawa defensive lapses and has been opportunistic in that respect, but hasn't been able to sustain o-zone possession or create all that many prime scoring opportunities. Simpson has been the better goalie.

If I'm Peterborough, I like the defensive posture in game 2 and the ability to cut-off shooting and passing lanes, get bodies or sticks on pucks, win board battles and eliminate Ottawa's net front presence. Gap control and zone entry is perhaps an issue they need to work on. But I'm probably not thrilled with o-zone possession time or ability to create turnovers on the forecheck or really work a cycle down low. The way I see it, Peterborough's forwards go in hard on the forecheck, finish their checks hard and clean, but haven't really been able to create turnovers or sustained pressure from those efforts.

PPs for both teams have been anemic.

The play has been a little tentative and boring so far. Peterborough has played two good road games and got rewarded with a win.

I agree with OMG above in that Peterborough should be expected to raise their level of play a few notches at home ice. Ottawa needs to be ready for that and respond accordingly. For Peterborough, they must be feeling some measure of confidence taking 1 game in Ottawa. At this point they're in the driver seat imo. Ottawa needs to respond tomorrow/Thursday and we've talked here about adjustments they can make. But what does Peterborough need to do? Cameron is going to figure some of this stuff out and I don't think "sit and wait for Ottawa to make a mistake and capitalize on it" is a viable strategy against a team of Ottawa's calibre. Pretty quiet on the Peterborough board so I thought I'd get some views here.

Ottawa needs to win one of two, preferably Game 3 but one game for sure. Ottawa needs to play 60 minutes to win games. If they play 60 minutes and Cameron makes strong decisions, Peterborough will need to play at their best and Simpson may need to steal a game or two. If Ottawa chooses to not play 60 minutes, flip a coin On the series. Ottawa needs to learn, if they already haven’t, that they need to play 60 minutes hard. I don’t understand why it seems so difficult. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work!

 

[dirty12]

Welcome to cookie-cutter hockey development. Everybody is learning the same things to play very similar systems. How does a team rise above the others?

London and Ottawa play very similar. Barrie and NB play differently, and very different from Ottawa.

 

[dirty12]

Looking at the series from Peterborough's perspective, how do we think they're feeling? What adjustments do we think they need to consider for game 3 at home? Both teams have been very stingy defensively...not counting Ottawa's EN, each team has scored 4 goals. Ottawa has controlled possession for much of the first 2 games but hasn't been able to capitalize on that with goals. Peterborough has taken advantage of some Ottawa defensive lapses and has been opportunistic in that respect, but hasn't been able to sustain o-zone possession or create all that many prime scoring opportunities. Simpson has been the better goalie.

If I'm Peterborough, I like the defensive posture in game 2 and the ability to cut-off shooting and passing lanes, get bodies or sticks on pucks, win board battles and eliminate Ottawa's net front presence. Gap control and zone entry is perhaps an issue they need to work on. But I'm probably not thrilled with o-zone possession time or ability to create turnovers on the forecheck or really work a cycle down low. The way I see it, Peterborough's forwards go in hard on the forecheck, finish their checks hard and clean, but haven't really been able to create turnovers or sustained pressure from those efforts.

PPs for both teams have been anemic.

The play has been a little tentative and boring so far. Peterborough has played two good road games and got rewarded with a win.

I agree with OMG above in that Peterborough should be expected to raise their level of play a few notches at home ice. Ottawa needs to be ready for that and respond accordingly. For Peterborough, they must be feeling some measure of confidence taking 1 game in Ottawa. At this point they're in the driver seat imo. Ottawa needs to respond tomorrow/Thursday and we've talked here about adjustments they can make. But what does Peterborough need to do? Cameron is going to figure some of this stuff out and I don't think "sit and wait for Ottawa to make a mistake and capitalize on it" is a viable strategy against a team of Ottawa's calibre. Pretty quiet on the Peterborough board so I thought I'd get some views here.

If the Petes D cannot move the puck forward, they will often go D (right boards) to D (between the circles 8-12’ in front of their goalie).
I watched them do it, and look shaky doing it since the deadline. Obviously, the coaches do not discourage it. Attack that with the RW with the C covering his side instead of five guys backtracking.

 

[beastintheeast]

I find this board interesting. The reason is that some people here are arguing that the 67's did nt shoot enough at the net and others are saying that they did but the shots were blocked by Pete's defence.

Either way they did not get enough shots on the net and that is why they lost. PERIOD

You can argue that the Defence was bad but looking at the stats I see Matier, Mews, Marelli and Minty leading this team as a 4 some.

This team when it shoots on the net wins when it does not shoot on the net it either squeaks or loses.

 

[OMG67]

I find this board interesting. The reason is that some people here are arguing that the 67's did nt shoot enough at the net and others are saying that they did but the shots were blocked by Pete's defence.

Either way they did not get enough shots on the net and that is why they lost. PERIOD

You can argue that the Defence was bad but looking at the stats I see Matier, Mews, Marelli and Minty leading this team as a 4 some.

This team when it shoots on the net wins when it does not shoot on the net it either squeaks or loses.

Beast, the reason they lost was lack of consistent effort. Shots on net are just a symptom of the core problem. Drive and effort result in successful shots and scoring opportunities. Shots get through and players are driving the net to poke the puck home. That effort wasn’t there.

 

[sirius67fan]

Ottawa trades kingston 4-23 to London for Erie 3-24. Thought James would go for a 25 or 26 pick where we have holes but good trade up...might trade it again next year. Also expect on of our two third picks to be traded.

 

[OMG67]

How does Cameron put out the 4th line with Marrelli and Mews on defence for an offensive zone draw on the road? Petes counter with the Beck line, turn the puck down the ice and get a scoring opportunity. Is it just me that thinks that is dumb?

If the 67’s are playing their 4th line, they need to make sure they don’t have the two 16 year old d-Men out with them.