Ottawa 67's 2022-23 Season Thread (Part 2)

[OMG67]

You read that ‘I thought the ‘67s were not better than the knights were; (yet)’? That’s disrespectful?
No disrespect, stop it with the flu excuse and missed games. I am 100% convinced NB is better than the ‘67s, from game 1,
[ insert excuse: despite the shaky play early by rookie BUGs, only 4 combined games from Mathurin, Winslow, and MacDonald].
and especially now having added Zito.

No one expected London to be the class of the West and yet there they are. No one has an issue claiming they are the best team “out of the blue” but the team with an .800 win% isn’t seriously in the discussion is disrespectful.

The discussion should be that Ottawa is the team to beat because of XYZ. However, The discussion is, Ottawa isn’t as good as their record because of ABC.

Ottawa hasn’t received due respect the entire season. That’s fine. We’ll see what happens when the roster is healthy against other healthy rosters.

Ottawa does need to make a few moves to improve their experience, I agree. But there’s been too much discrediting and arguing against their achievements.

 

[NoQuit67s]

And yet, they skated to a 0-0 tie through OT on the road in London short staffed without Beck, Matier and Boucher.

One game does not tell the story, I agree.

However, Ottawa has only had one rough stretch and that was when the team was sick And skating on fumes. I honestly thought this recent short bench with most of their veterna players out of the lineup would expose them heavily but it didn’t. I know they played Guelph, Oshawa, Hamilton and Kingston (x3) so not big league teams but going 5-1 with a short bench and the bulk of your leadership gone says a lot About how well the team plays as a team. They don’t rely on any particular player to push them through. They are balanced and well coached. Even a team mostly comprised of 16 and 17 year olds are winning games against and above .500 team.

For the 67’s to be able to win games consistently against even average OHL competition with such a young roster over the last few weeks says a lot about what this team is made of.

I think it is disrespectful to continually point to other teams as better when those teams have not achieved what Ottawa has to date. I think Ottawa has done enough at this point to garner the respect they deserve. I can and will say they would have a tough time in the playoffs against North Bay or London for example but to flat out say either of those teams are better when Ottawa has compiled an enviable record in face of adversity is pretty shallow.

I understand where you are coming from so don’t take it the wrong way. I am jsut pointing to the fact that for some reason, Ottawa is not looked upon as a threat. I don’t understand why. I think it may have a lot to do with their youth and their standing last year. People view it as a flash in the pan situation. I can assure you, that is not the case at all. The team is well coached and they pursue the puck as good or better than any other team int he league. Their youth has thrived in that environment because of the effort and drive the team has. That has been the element that has defined their success. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work.

I think outsiders are also oblivious to the fact that Ottawa is already getting a significant addition in the second half of the season in Jack Beck, arguably our best offensive forward.
Last year as an 18 year old, in a similar situation, he returned for the second half of the season and was a 1,22 point per game player. And, we don't have to worry if he fits into the type of player that will gel with the team.

 

[OMG67]

It's possible that Ottawa without any changes is good enough to win the league. It's possible. If Boyd goes down that road and gets that result he is going to look like a genius. Not only for knowing not to rock the apple cart, but also for finding the diamonds in the rough that other teams overlook, knowing what kind of players to draft that fit into his team's system, and building a winning system based on those players without having to go "all in" at the deadline. I mean, if the 67s win it all this year without adding at the deadline, look at their draft cupboard. That is one heck of a sustainable model. They could theoretically keep doing it every season and force the rest of the league to adapt. I mean, we are talking about a Billy Beane type of turning the league on it's head.

However,

If they add big at the deadline, they might have to go through a selling season to refill the cupboard, similar to other teams. Or if they fail to push the team over the line, again, whether or not they add, it will call into question whether the 67s system is a good system for playoff success, or whether it is only good for regular season success. Until they push over the line, there will be doubters. The proof is in the pudding.

It isn’t about that. It isn’t about doubting they need to make additions. It is about discrediting what they’ve done to date. The angle of approach when discussing Ottawa is why they aren’t as good as their record and why other teams are better than their record. I don’t understand the logic to be honest.

I understand it from team fans who are bias but I see it from the more respected posters that are not commenting at all on their team.

I can honestly say I think right now that North Bay has the strongest team. I think that is evident. I can make an argument for that. I get it. But it isn’t about that. It is the angle of attack that I find disrespectful. “Ottawa isn’t that good. They will come down to Earth. If they don’t add significantly at the deadline they are toast.” Stuff like that I don’t understand.

 

[ohloutsider]

And yet, they skated to a 0-0 tie through OT on the road in London short staffed without Beck, Matier and Boucher.

One game does not tell the story, I agree.

However, Ottawa has only had one rough stretch and that was when the team was sick And skating on fumes. I honestly thought this recent short bench with most of their veterna players out of the lineup would expose them heavily but it didn’t. I know they played Guelph, Oshawa, Hamilton and Kingston (x3) so not big league teams but going 5-1 with a short bench and the bulk of your leadership gone says a lot About how well the team plays as a team. They don’t rely on any particular player to push them through. They are balanced and well coached. Even a team mostly comprised of 16 and 17 year olds are winning games against and above .500 team.

For the 67’s to be able to win games consistently against even average OHL competition with such a young roster over the last few weeks says a lot about what this team is made of.

I think it is disrespectful to continually point to other teams as better when those teams have not achieved what Ottawa has to date. I think Ottawa has done enough at this point to garner the respect they deserve. I can and will say they would have a tough time in the playoffs against North Bay or London for example but to flat out say either of those teams are better when Ottawa has compiled an enviable record in face of adversity is pretty shallow.

I understand where you are coming from so don’t take it the wrong way. I am jsut pointing to the fact that for some reason, Ottawa is not looked upon as a threat. I don’t understand why. I think it may have a lot to do with their youth and their standing last year. People view it as a flash in the pan situation. I can assure you, that is not the case at all. The team is well coached and they pursue the puck as good or better than any other team int he league. Their youth has thrived in that environment because of the effort and drive the team has. That has been the element that has defined their success. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work.

You failed to mention they lost to Windsor the night before. So 2 west teams Ottawa could not beat in regulation. In the playoffs OT is 5 on 5 hockey. Last year Hamilton sweep the east but had a hard time against the west in the final. Don't over/ under estimate any team in the playoffs. That is what teams are building towards.

 

[dirty12]

No one expected London to be the class of the West and yet there they are. No one has an issue claiming they are the best team “out of the blue” but the team with an .800 win% isn’t seriously in the discussion is disrespectful.

The discussion should be that Ottawa is the team to beat because of XYZ. However, The discussion is, Ottawa isn’t as good as their record because of ABC.

Ottawa hasn’t received due respect the entire season. That’s fine. We’ll see what happens when the roster is healthy against other healthy rosters.

Ottawa does need to make a few moves to improve their experience, I agree. But there’s been too much discrediting and arguing against their achievements.

I think you’re being a little sensitive. I must have glossed over all the best in the west stuff because I get the impression no one really has a strong feeling on the best of the west, just a lot of nervous Sarnia fans with frail confidence in their team.
The ‘67s are deserving of their record. That does not make them a better full season team or playoff team than NB even before they added, or the Petes team now imo.

 

[OMG67]

I think you’re being a little sensitive. I must have glossed over all the best in the west stuff because I get the impression no one really has a strong feeling on the best of the west, just a lot of nervous Sarnia fans with frail confidence in their team.
The ‘67s are deserving of their record. That does not make them a better full season team or playoff team than NB even before they added, or the Petes team now imo.

I’m not being sensitive. I am making an observation.

London was not expected to compete in the top half of the Conference this season. They have done well. They added two decent players, one of which has been often injured. They are considered the class of the Conference after demonstrating their performance to date and adding two players. Much deserved status in my opinion.

Ottawa had a recognized tough stretch during a flu period. You don’t like to recognize it and that is fine but their rough patch lined up with sickness in the room and was demonstrated on The ice. As you mentioned, all teams go through that and I agree. Same with injuries. My point isn’t that. My point is that those same arguments are used to prop up other teams ahead of Ottawa and yet when Ottawa uses those excuses, they are meaningless.

In spite of many obstacles placed in front of Ottawa, they’ve still managed to perform at the top of the league. Yet, for some reason, they don’t get their due respect. Not even a true benefit of the doubt. They are swept aside in favour of other teams that, on paper, seem to be better. Fine. But the reality exists that Ottawa has only lost 6 games in regulation to date. They’ve played a handful of games without a full roster, the majority of which comprised of 16 and 17 year olds. They battled a flu bug. Their top forward has been injured for the majority of the year. They lost three players to the WJHC. Yet, they still continue to win games.

You still are missing the overall point. It is not about a discussion as to who we think will win in the end. It is about how a solid number of people are discrediting Ottawa. I have no issues with you suggesting as of right now that north Bay is the better team. The issue I have overall is how Ottawa is talked about. We have a similar result team in the west that gets immense praise for rising from the early season prediction bottom half to the top of the Conference. They get the respect afforded the top team in the conference and rightfully so. When people discuss London, there will be people that tend to lean other ways but they don’t do it in a way that disrespects London. They still recognize London as a formidable foe.

Ottawa is not recognized as a formidable foe. Tey are recognized mostly as a flash in the pan that won’t hold up agaisnt the more powerful teams unless they add significant assets. There is a significantly different approach to Ottawa that falls under the disrespect category.

 

[44 95 plus tax]

It's possible that Ottawa without any changes is good enough to win the league. It's possible. If Boyd goes down that road and gets that result he is going to look like a genius. Not only for knowing not to rock the apple cart, but also for finding the diamonds in the rough that other teams overlook, knowing what kind of players to draft that fit into his team's system, and building a winning system based on those players without having to go "all in" at the deadline. I mean, if the 67s win it all this year without adding at the deadline, look at their draft cupboard. That is one heck of a sustainable model. They could theoretically keep doing it every season and force the rest of the league to adapt. I mean, we are talking about a Billy Beane type of turning the league on it's head.

However,

If they add big at the deadline, they might have to go through a selling season to refill the cupboard, similar to other teams. Or if they fail to push the team over the line, again, whether or not they add, it will call into question whether the 67s system is a good system for playoff success, or whether it is only good for regular season success. Until they push over the line, there will be doubters. The proof is in the pudding.

If JB doesn't use assets to add to the team this year, of all years, he will never use assets. He will always have that draft capital. What is the use of building up draft capital if you never use it?

I have stated this before. I am a 33 year STH. Seen the best and the worst. I don't mind seeing the down years for a rebuild IF the team is serious about making an effort to win every once in a while.

If nothing of significance gets done this year and we are a 1 or two round then out team, I will be extremely disappointed and honestly would need to re-think my support for this team going forward.

 

[OMG67]

You failed to mention they lost to Windsor the night before. So 2 west teams Ottawa could not beat in regulation. In the playoffs OT is 5 on 5 hockey. Last year Hamilton sweep the east but had a hard time against the west in the final. Don't over/ under estimate any team in the playoffs. That is what teams are building towards.

You can’t go 68-0. Teams will lose games, especially on the road to good teams. Hamilton didn’t go 4-0 each round. They did win though.

 

[dirty12]

I’m not being sensitive. I am making an observation.

London was not expected to compete in the top half of the Conference this season. They have done well. They added two decent players, one of which has been often injured. They are considered the class of the Conference after demonstrating their performance to date and adding two players. Much deserved status in my opinion.

Ottawa had a recognized tough stretch during a flu period. You don’t like to recognize it and that is fine but their rough patch lined up with sickness in the room and was demonstrated on The ice. As you mentioned, all teams go through that and I agree. Same with injuries. My point isn’t that. My point is that those same arguments are used to prop up other teams ahead of Ottawa and yet when Ottawa uses those excuses, they are meaningless.

In spite of many obstacles placed in front of Ottawa, they’ve still managed to perform at the top of the league. Yet, for some reason, they don’t get their due respect. Not even a true benefit of the doubt. They are swept aside in favour of other teams that, on paper, seem to be better. Fine. But the reality exists that Ottawa has only lost 6 games in regulation to date. They’ve played a handful of games without a full roster, the majority of which comprised of 16 and 17 year olds. They battled a flu bug. Their top forward has been injured for the majority of the year. They lost three players to the WJHC. Yet, they still continue to win games.

You still are missing the overall point. It is not about a discussion as to who we think will win in the end. It is about how a solid number of people are discrediting Ottawa. I have no issues with you suggesting as of right now that north Bay is the better team. The issue I have overall is how Ottawa is talked about. We have a similar result team in the west that gets immense praise for rising from the early season prediction bottom half to the top of the Conference. They get the respect afforded the top team in the conference and rightfully so. When people discuss London, there will be people that tend to lean other ways but they don’t do it in a way that disrespects London. They still recognize London as a formidable foe.

Ottawa is not recognized as a formidable foe. Tey are recognized mostly as a flash in the pan that won’t hold up agaisnt the more powerful teams unless they add significant assets. There is a significantly different approach to Ottawa that falls under the disrespect category.

This may seem disrespectful then. The ‘67s have been the most consistent team so far, and I believe that is the reason they have the best record so far. But I don’t think they have the team right now, not even close.

 

[PuckStop75]

It isn’t about that. It isn’t about doubting they need to make additions. It is about discrediting what they’ve done to date. The angle of approach when discussing Ottawa is why they aren’t as good as their record and why other teams are better than their record. I don’t understand the logic to be honest.

I understand it from team fans who are bias but I see it from the more respected posters that are not commenting at all on their team.

I can honestly say I think right now that North Bay has the strongest team. I think that is evident. I can make an argument for that. I get it. But it isn’t about that. It is the angle of attack that I find disrespectful. “Ottawa isn’t that good. They will come down to Earth. If they don’t add significantly at the deadline they are toast.” Stuff like that I don’t understand.

The 67's have played 4 games against Oshawa, 5 against Kingston, two against each of Soo, Erie, Guelph and Sudbury plus a game against Niagara. 18 of 33 games against the teams with the worst records in the league. The games they have played against better competition have been sprinkled into things often with a scheduling advantage.

They have only played three games against the top 6 in the west, two losses and I thought Flint was the better team for the first 2 periods. I don't make excuses for illness or injury, you play the games with the roster you have at the time, it is the same for every team, and all have faced adversity.

The 6 games since Dec 11, they have played Kingston three times, Guelph, Oshawa and Hamilton. The lone loss in that stretch was against Hamilton who was at the tail end of a 3 in 3 road trip.

I believe this team is good but the record is deceiving, the schedule will intensify in the 2nd half and the level of competition is going to elevate substantially which is when we will find out how good the team really is. Focusing strictly on the East NB, Petes, Ottawa and Barrie (assuming Clarke returns) are going to be in a dog fight. Ottawa and Barrie have the assets to step ahead of the others, but will they?

 

[ohloutsider]

You can’t go 68-0. Teams will lose games, especially on the road to good teams. Hamilton didn’t go 4-0 each round. They did win though.

I thought Hamilton went 4-0 all through the east until the finals,no?

 

[OMG67]

If JB doesn't use assets to add to the team this year, of all years, he will never use assets. He will always have that draft capital. What is the use of building up draft capital if you never use it?

I have stated this before. I am a 33 year STH. Seen the best and the worst. I don't mind seeing the down years for a rebuild IF the team is serious about making an effort to win every once in a while.

If nothing of significance gets done this year and we are a 1 or two round then out team, I will be extremely disappointed and honestly would need to re-think my support for this team going forward.

I think that needs to be the sentiment across the board. If the team management isn’t committed to the fans then why should the fans be committed to the team?

I know a lot of people look at it from the perspective of respecting the players in the room but I think you respect the players in the room by assembling the best possible tema on the ice when the time is right.

I will always remember a conversation I had with an Ottawa player in the past (late 90’s). He was seriously disappointed the team didn’t make a move at the deadline. His exact words were, “Killer isn’t as smart as a lot of people think he is.“. This pointed to the fact the players wanted to see a move made. Players want to have the best team and I think they understand that sometimes that means moving someone out to bring someone in.

It also isn’t necessarily doing everything possible. That has diminishing returns. The more you bring in, the less the other play and you lose their effectiveness. Is it better to have your first line playing 15 minutes per game and a stronger 4th line playing an extra 5 minutes or play your first line 20 minutes per game? The more minutes you give to the lower lines becuase you stacked them, the less minutes your stars get. So, at some point, you have to be happy with where you are. It doesn’t mean you blow your entire load needlessly.

This team has expendable assets that would be missed int he future but could be replaced by other incoming assets. We have loads of picks but it doesn’t mean we need to trade them all. We have loads of returning players. We won’t have room for all of them.. Decide what players are expendable and can be replaced internally or through the draft etc. there are many options.

This team could trade three bodies and not really miss a beat next year for the most part. We’d replace those bodies with players of a lower calibre but its not the end of the World.

 

[OMG67]

The 67's have played 4 games against Oshawa, 5 against Kingston, two against each of Soo, Erie, Guelph and Sudbury plus a game against Niagara. 18 of 33 games against the teams with the worst records in the league. The games they have played against better competition have been sprinkled into things often with a scheduling advantage.

They have only played three games against the top 6 in the west, two losses and I thought Flint was the better team for the first 2 periods. I don't make excuses for illness or injury, you play the games with the roster you have at the time, it is the same for every team, and all have faced adversity.

The 6 games since Dec 11, they have played Kingston three times, Guelph, Oshawa and Hamilton. The lone loss in that stretch was against Hamilton who was at the tail end of a 3 in 3 road trip.

I believe this team is good but the record is deceiving, the schedule will intensify in the 2nd half and the level of competition is going to elevate substantially which is when we will find out how good the team really is. Focusing strictly on the East NB, Petes, Ottawa and Barrie (assuming Clarke returns) are going to be in a dog fight. Ottawa and Barrie have the assets to step ahead of the others, but will they?

I’ve actually pointed that out myself In the past. It still doesn’t discount the fact they still manage to win games with depleted rosters that on paper don’t stand up against their competition. For example, the Kingston team they just beat three games in a row were better on paper than Ottawa.

I said pre-season that it was a five dog fight in the East. Missy has seemed to fall off pace making it a four dog fight. Ottawa will need to make moves to keep pace. But it isn’t about the pace, it is about what has been accomplished to date. Ottawa has been a secondary team in the discussions, yet they’ve managed to win playing a strong team game similar to London. London gets their due respect. Ottawa? Not so much.

 

[OMG67]

I thought Hamilton went 4-0 all through the east until the finals,no?

That was my point. They didn’t go 4-0 in each round. They needed 7 to knock off Windsor. It isn’t realistic to expect teams to win every game. You can’t point to one or two games and play the “gotcha” game. You need to balance it over a full season, or in this case, a half season.

London has garnered a lot of respect for their standing. Rightfully so. Ottawa? I don’t think anyone can argue they are viewed from a different lense. I think Puckstop has managed ot provide another example of that. Trying to find ways to poke hole in their record as opposed to find ways to support their record.

Those that support London league wide, find ways to support their record. Those same people find ways to poke holes in Ottawa’s record. Neither were pre-season front runners. Both were mid to lower pack teams. It is not like one is living up to expectations. I think most believe they are exceeding expectations. One is lauded for it. The other is not. I think that counts as disrespect.

 

[DWI Dale]

imo their record speaks for itself. they're playing good team hockey.
but as suggested they will need to keep up with the deadline arms race if they want to be considered bonafide contenders.

 

[mianjo]

Austria lost today so they are eliminated Rohrer coming home

 

[ohloutsider]

That was my point. They didn’t go 4-0 in each round. They needed 7 to knock off Windsor. It isn’t realistic to expect teams to win every game. You can’t point to one or two games and play the “gotcha” game. You need to balance it over a full season, or in this case, a half season.

London has garnered a lot of respect for their standing. Rightfully so. Ottawa? I don’t think anyone can argue they are viewed from a different lense. I think Puckstop has managed ot provide another example of that. Trying to find ways to poke hole in their record as opposed to find ways to support their record.

Those that support London league wide, find ways to support their record. Those same people find ways to poke holes in Ottawa’s record. Neither were pre-season front runners. Both were mid to lower pack teams. It is not like one is living up to expectations. I think most believe they are exceeding expectations. One is lauded for it. The other is not. I think that counts as disrespect.

For me the shoe is on the other foot. All talk on here is how great the 67's and the East is. Yet Ottawa goes west and struggles against the west teams. Sure it is a limited veiwing but they only play a home and home 2 times. Your not giving the West any credit for having strong teams. A mutual disrespect the way I see it. Anyway carry on. Trade talk is far more exciting then my babble.

 

[PuckStop75]

I’ve actually pointed that out myself In the past. It still doesn’t discount the fact they still manage to win games with depleted rosters that on paper don’t stand up against their competition. For example, the Kingston team they just beat three games in a row were better on paper than Ottawa.

I said pre-season that it was a five dog fight in the East. Missy has seemed to fall off pace making it a four dog fight. Ottawa will need to make moves to keep pace. But it isn’t about the pace, it is about what has been accomplished to date. Ottawa has been a secondary team in the discussions, yet they’ve managed to win playing a strong team game similar to London. London gets their due respect. Ottawa? Not so much.

You can't measure the team against the worst 7 teams in the league, none of them will make it out of the first round if they even make the playoffs. Kingston is what they are now, and that is not a very good hockey team, the final pieces to move will be Wright and potentially Hache, I don't see interest in any of the others unless the Petes or Ottawa reach for an OA in Roger.

London played well against better competition and has made moves to continue to get better; and more importantly when engaging in these discussions project better in a playoff series. Adding Diaco, Winterton, Humphrey and even Del Monte did what Ottawa hasn't done and that is address weaknesses in their roster, by adding skill, physicality, maturity and experience.

 

[OMG67]

For me the shoe is on the other foot. All talk on here is how great the 67's and the East is. Yet Ottawa goes west and struggles against the west teams. Sure it is a limited veiwing but they only play a home and home 2 times. Your not giving the West any credit for having strong teams. A mutual disrespect the way I see it. Anyway carry on. Trade talk is far more exciting then my babble.

Personally, I have not disrespected the West. I don’t think I’ve read anything that suggests one conference is better than the other in any meaningful or constructive way. From my perspective, most conversation with a Conference centric. My point was when talking about the Western conference, there seems to be respect given for London. When talking about the East, Ottawa doesn’t get the same observance.

I don’t think anyone has talked much about one conference being storongwr than the other. I don’t think those conversations happen much until the second half of the season. That is, of course, unless there is a decided difference in the standings. I know there have been times where the West had a team in 9th place that would be 5th place in the East. In those situations it is reasonable to make those judgements.

 

[OMG67]

You can't measure the team against the worst 7 teams in the league, none of them will make it out of the first round if they even make the playoffs. Kingston is what they are now, and that is not a very good hockey team, the final pieces to move will be Wright and potentially Hache, I don't see interest in any of the others unless the Petes or Ottawa reach for an OA in Roger.

London played well against better competition and has made moves to continue to get better; and more importantly when engaging in these discussions project better in a playoff series. Adding Diaco, Winterton, Humphrey and even Del Monte did what Ottawa hasn't done and that is address weaknesses in their roster, by adding skill, physicality, maturity and experience.

Yea but you are missing the point. Ottawa hasn’t made any moves, YET they STILL remain the top of the league. Actually, scratch that. Ottawa traded four 19 year olds and a 20 year old and have managed to stay tops in the league while adding nothing to date.

THAT deserves respect.

what I see is a lot of observers looking for ways to discredit Ottawa by pointing at what some PERCEIVE as weaknesses. They discard the record. They discard the fact they are lowest goals against in the league. They discard the balanced attack and overall team play. It’s like they don’t have studs through the lineup so they must be ready to fall at some point. People, like you’ve done, is try to find reasons to discredit their record and diminish their accomplishments.

The funny part is we had a lot of crazy good teams in the late 90’s and early 2000’s but it was the team with no real elite players that won the Championship because they played a strong team game.

I stand by my original prediction. Ottawa was with the recognized top four preseason in no particular order. Ottawa has outperformed their competition and has emerged as the leader. They deserve the respect afforded to their position. They don’t get it.

It seems like they will only get it if they acquire big names to give the team credibility. I think that is disrespectful.

That doesn’t mean I don’t think they can just ignore true deadline. They do need to keep pace. But they don’t need to “catch up.” They need ti “stay ahead.” That is a different mentality that is lost on many. For some reason Ottawa needs to lay catchup. They are the leaders. Teams that have made deals have done so on an effort to catch Ottawa. It’s not the other way around.

 

[PuckStop75]

Yea but you are missing the point. Ottawa hasn’t made any moves, YET they STILL remain the top of the league. Actually, scratch that. Ottawa traded four 19 year olds and a 20 year old and have managed to stay tops in the league while adding nothing to date.

THAT deserves respect.

what I see is a lot of observers looking for ways to discredit Ottawa by pointing at what some PERCEIVE as weaknesses. They discard the record. They discard the fact they are lowest goals against in the league. They discard the balanced attack and overall team play. It’s like they don’t have studs through the lineup so they must be ready to fall at some point. People, like you’ve done, is try to find reasons to discredit their record and diminish their accomplishments.

The funny part is we had a lot of crazy good teams in the late 90’s and early 2000’s but it was the team with no real elite players that won the Championship because they played a strong team game.

I stand by my original prediction. Ottawa was with the recognized top four preseason in no particular order. Ottawa has outperformed their competition and has emerged as the leader. They deserve the respect afforded to their position. They don’t get it.

It seems like they will only get it if they acquire big names to give the team credibility. I think that is disrespectful.

That doesn’t mean I don’t think they can just ignore true deadline. They do need to keep pace. But they don’t need to “catch up.” They need ti “stay ahead.” That is a different mentality that is lost on many. For some reason Ottawa needs to lay catchup. They are the leaders. Teams that have made deals have done so on an effort to catch Ottawa. It’s not the other way around.

I don't miss the point, I don't agree with it, which I can appreciate you don't understand.

You can't have a stat or standing based discussion at this stage of the season without considering the strength of competition. Ottawa has played more than half their games against the bottom 7 teams in the league, in a 20 team league where there is usually three groups of teams (Contender, Competitive and Non-Competitive) that is substantial. That said I do believe Ottawa is a top 4 in the east, and will likely win their division, they deserve and get respect for getting off to a tremendous start. The credibility is meaningless at the end of the day, it will come down to winning and losing hockey games in the playoffs.

As far as keeping pace, you yourself have acknowledged that NB is better, so which one is it? are they catching up or staying ahead? I think we both agree that Ottawa has had a tremendous first half, unfortunately they don't hang banners for good starts. Several others including myself see weakness in the team which hasn't been completely exposed, or addressed in any meaningful effort to improve the team for a playoff run. It is entirely possible that they develop in a manner which will correct that, but historically that has not been the case and certainly not in the modern era.

 

[Robray12]

Ottawa is obviously the better regular season team in the east , you can dispute all you want but I don't see any team catching them in the standings....the point of trades is to make your team better in the playoffs.....will Ottawa be able to assemble a championship team before the deadline....we shall see...then you can debate who's team is the better on paper...as the playoffs may show us a different hand.

 

[analyser]

I don't miss the point, I don't agree with it, which I can appreciate you don't understand.

You can't have a stat or standing based discussion at this stage of the season without considering the strength of competition. Ottawa has played more than half their games against the bottom 7 teams in the league, in a 20 team league where there is usually three groups of teams (Contender, Competitive and Non-Competitive) that is substantial. That said I do believe Ottawa is a top 4 in the east, and will likely win their division, they deserve and get respect for getting off to a tremendous start. The credibility is meaningless at the end of the day, it will come down to winning and losing hockey games in the playoffs.

As far as keeping pace, you yourself have acknowledged that NB is better, so which one is it? are they catching up or staying ahead? I think we both agree that Ottawa has had a tremendous first half, unfortunately they don't hang banners for good starts. Several others including myself see weakness in the team which hasn't been completely exposed, or addressed in any meaningful effort to improve the team for a playoff run. It is entirely possible that they develop in a manner which will correct that, but historically that has not been the case and certainly not in the modern era.

I look at it this way, either they add a couple of high end players to keep up with the competition or they only add an OA and hope for the best.

They will probably not win the East if they choose the latter option. Anything could happen in the playoffs but the odds would be stacked against them if they decide to do very little.
The team is very young so experience is a necessary ingredient for playoff success.

 

[OMG67]

I don't miss the point, I don't agree with it, which I can appreciate you don't understand.

You can't have a stat or standing based discussion at this stage of the season without considering the strength of competition. Ottawa has played more than half their games against the bottom 7 teams in the league, in a 20 team league where there is usually three groups of teams (Contender, Competitive and Non-Competitive) that is substantial. That said I do believe Ottawa is a top 4 in the east, and will likely win their division, they deserve and get respect for getting off to a tremendous start. The credibility is meaningless at the end of the day, it will come down to winning and losing hockey games in the playoffs.

As far as keeping pace, you yourself have acknowledged that NB is better, so which one is it? are they catching up or staying ahead? I think we both agree that Ottawa has had a tremendous first half, unfortunately they don't hang banners for good starts. Several others including myself see weakness in the team which hasn't been completely exposed, or addressed in any meaningful effort to improve the team for a playoff run. It is entirely possible that they develop in a manner which will correct that, but historically that has not been the case and certainly not in the modern era.

With respect, you don’t understand my point. I will try to be more clear because I am not making my point clear enough. It is my fault.

There are two approaches to viewing the best teams, most successful people or successful businesses.

1> Respect for their accomplishments. People view them with reverence and look at the positives.
or
2> Disrespect or discount their accomplishments. People don’t understand why they are where they are and they try to discredit their standing mostly because of preconceived expectations. People look for reasons to discredit a team, person or company by pointing out advantages or others entities disadvantages to diminish their success. Essentially saying it is unwarranted.

This is a situation where when speaking about Ottawa, what I see a lot of is, “Sure, Ottawa is tops in the league but…
Insert reason one
Insert reason two
Insert reason three

Positives:
1> We have the best 16-17 year old core in the league. Hands down. That is demonstrated by our standing and the impact those players have on the results of our games. That is not to say we have the individual best player etc. Just the best collection.
2> We have two strong goalies as evidenced by their Goals Against Average
3> We have 8 OHL D-Men that have all contributed to a fairly high level. The combination of strong and consistent goaltending, a good returning core of D-Men and dedication to overall puck control has led to reduced scoring opportunities and positive results in the defensive zone
4> We are close to the league lead in Goals For and don’t have anyone in the top 25 in scoring which means we don’t rely on one line or a couple players to carry the load
5> We have an accomplished Head Coach that has demonstrated success in the past. He just came off a WJHC Gold Medal this summer. They’ve also made a strong investment in a supporting staff on and off the bench
6> They’ve faced adversity this season with injuries, suspensions, sickness and players lost to International Tournaments. No one can say we’ve benefitted from “good fortune”
7> They made sacrifices at the beginning of the season trading away four 19 year olds and one 20 year old to give way to the younger players who have found success
8> They still have an OA spot as well as an Import slot. They have found success without filling key roster spots
9> Of their 6 losses, only one game was by a wider margin than 2 goals. They’ve been in all games other than one.
10> Since the end of last season (2022 Priority Draft), the team has moved expendable players with no spot to play plus a 6th and have netted a balance of a 2nd, five 3rds, a 5th and an 8th. These picks can be used to strengthen this seasons roster at the deadline without using any picks they didn’t have at the beginning of April last year.

Negatives:
1> They’ve had an easy schedule (not something they can control)
2> Only 6-4-1 against what we’d consider the top teams. 3 losses and SO loss all on the road. Only one of those losses on home ice. That makes them 4-1 on home ice against the stronger teams

On balance, there seem to be a lot of positives and very few negatives. The fact the team has a great group of younger players provides two significant advantages. First, they can use some of those players in deals for more experienced players. Second, if they add players and those younger players move lower on the depth chart, they have tried and tested substitutes to step in during times of injury. They don’t need to catch up to the competition. They are already ahead. They have all the core elements in place. They play strong defence and score goals. The scoring is spread out which means they don’t rely on a handful of players. They’ve accumulated a lot of picks that can be used to improve further if they choose to do so.

They don’t have control over their schedule. Their losses have mostly been on the road in a league that usually benefits the home team. It is not unusual for the stronger teams to lose to the other stronger teams when they play on the road.

They’ve faced a lot of adversity with player games lost and don’t have the benefit of a team that has had the advantage of consistent health. Teams can’t point to them having that advantage.

I think on balance, it is unfair to focus on schedule. They don’t have control over their schedule. London is 10-5 and North Bay is 9-4 when I use the same criteria for strength of opponent. Clearly a better outcome for sure but they’ve had more opportunity as well. Strength of schedule may result in maybe a 4 point boost for Ottawa (assuming they would have lost two additional games of four which is below their current win% against stronger teams). That puts them at par with London and North Bay at 49 points.

I stand by my assertion that Ottawa gets discredited for a small handful of reasons while their positives are ignored or misunderstood.

 

[Devin]

I haven't watched too many Ottawa games.. but looking at their roster on paper this start seems a little too good to be true if that makes sense? Great team don't get me wrong.

I think what OMG67 says might be accurate.. with the age of this team I think they cave under pressure. A little immature compared to a contender who may be a bit older?