Ottawa 67's 2023-24 Off-Season Thread (Part 1)

[OMG67]

My prediction is that Ottawa will go 4-1 in its remaining games (with the loss being in Brantford), finish with 83 points, and 5th in the eastern conference. How I see it shaking out:

1. Oshawa (~89 pts)
2. North Bay (~88 pts)
3. Brantford (~86 pts)
4. Sudbury (~85 pts)
5. Ottawa (~83 pts)
6. Mississauga (~82 pts)

Ottawa needs to run the table to have a shot at the #4 seed, but even then they need help I think. Should be an interesting finish.

For that to happen, Oshawa would run out its last four games which means two wins vs Sudbury. That accounts for the two Sudbury losses which means Sudbury wins their other four remaining games.

Brantford goes 4-2 with losses against North Bay and Ottawa.

North Bay would need to run their remaining schedule.

If all of the above happens, Missy can ONLY get a max 82 points and Ottawa a max of 83 points.

This is very plausible. All of this assumes there are no points lost to the weaker teams down the stretch by any of the teams in the top 6. Junior hockey is a little too unpredictable and I think there will be some 3 point games mixed in there as well which would significantly impact the standings. But, from an Ottawa perspective, I think 5th is the right finishing slot. Mississauga and Sudbury have the ability to upset the balance in that mix.

I will say this, if this is the final standings, I like Ottawa’s chances vs Sudbury. Provided all of the top 3 seeds win in round one, it would set up an Ottawa vs Oshawa 2nd round. That is perfect. Oshawa is a good team but the two teams I want to avoid most are North Bay and Brantford (assuming Brantford is at full strength).

 

[NordiquesForeva]

For that to happen, Oshawa would run out its last four games which means two wins vs Sudbury. That accounts for the two Sudbury losses which means Sudbury wins their other four remaining games.

Brantford goes 4-2 with losses against North Bay and Ottawa.

North Bay would need to run their remaining schedule.

If all of the above happens, Missy can ONLY get a max 82 points and Ottawa a max of 83 points.

This is very plausible. All of this assumes there are no points lost to the weaker teams down the stretch by any of the teams in the top 6. Junior hockey is a little too unpredictable and I think there will be some 3 point games mixed in there as well which would significantly impact the standings. But, from an Ottawa perspective, I think 5th is the right finishing slot. Mississauga and Sudbury have the ability to upset the balance in that mix.

I will say this, if this is the final standings, I like Ottawa’s chances vs Sudbury. Provided all of the top 3 seeds win in round one, it would set up an Ottawa vs Oshawa 2nd round. That is perfect. Oshawa is a good team but the two teams I want to avoid most are North Bay and Brantford (assuming Brantford is at full strength).

Yep, you got it. Admittedly I didn't factor in 3-pt games, or assume any "upsets" by the weaker teams. Something is likely to happen that upsets the apple cart.

Sudbury (who I do see losing to Oshawa 2x) has a 3-in-3 this weekend, with the final game in Owen Sound on Sunday. That is one to watch. Ottawa running the table, plus a 3rd loss by Sudbury down the stretch, puts the #4 seed in play. Unfortunately for Ottawa, Brantford has a reasonable schedule down the stretch and I think its highly unlikely Ottawa catches them for the 3rd seed.

 

[OMG67]

Yep, you got it. Admittedly I didn't factor in 3-pt games, or assume any "upsets" by the weaker teams. Something is likely to happen that upsets the apple cart.

Sudbury (who I do see losing to Oshawa 2x) has a 3-in-3 this weekend, with the final game in Owen Sound on Sunday. That is one to watch. Ottawa running the table, plus a 3rd loss by Sudbury down the stretch, puts the #4 seed in play. Unfortunately for Ottawa, Brantford has a reasonable schedule down the stretch and I think its highly unlikely Ottawa catches them for the 3rd seed.

It really is tough to say. Hypothetically speaking, if Ottawa does knock off Brantford on Saturday, it really opens the door. Then we’d need help from Sudbury against Oshawa. That is still a possibility as well.

Essentially if Ottawa comes out of this weekend sitting with 79 points (wins vs Barrie and Brantford), Sudbury beats Oshawa on Friday, and North Bay beats Brantford tonight, that tightens up the division quite a bit. Oshawa 81, Ottawa 79, and Brantford 78 going into Sunday’s games.

Oshawa was sort of lucky to come out with a win last night. They didn’t play well. Their consistency this year has been evident. Regardless of their current streak, I’m still not sold on the Generals.

As many have said, I think we may know a little more after games on Sunday. At least we will know the possibilities.

Of course, Ottawa could lose tonight to Barrie and that pretty much seals the deal for the 67’s.

 

[Larionov]

One of the downers of not having home ice for round one is that our opponents get the nice weekend games for games one and two, and we get stuck with a couple of mid-week games for three and four. That's how it has historically gone down anyway, and of course mid-week attendance in junior hockey is typically really poor...

 

[OMG67]

One of the downers of not having home ice for round one is that our opponents get the nice weekend games for games one and two, and we get stuck with a couple of mid-week games for three and four. That's how it has historically gone down anyway, and of course mid-week attendance in junior hockey is typically really poor...

It is Easter Weekend though. I may go on a road trip!

 

[beastintheeast]

Mathematically speaking, it is possible. Ottawa needs to run the schedule BUT if Ottawa runs the schedule and ends up with 85 points, Oshawa would need to lose two games (out of four) and Brantford would need to lose one game (out of four). It could all happen but the odds are long.

All that said, I don’t think this is an issue with respect to wearing themselves down. Cameron has been running out 4 lines pretty consistently. It is not like playing half assed going into the playoffs is advisable so they can’t just go out and dog it. They need to be playing well which means taking it easy isn’t an option anyway. This team doesn’t really have the bodies to be able to sit guys out either. I am also not aware of any injuries that may require that week of rest but they could be hiding them well.

Auto-correct is fooling you

I was not talking about Ottawa fighting for 1st or wearing down I was talking about OSH and BFD

No offence but I think your dream is dead. There is no way this team beats BFD twice.

I think this weekend will end any hope.

 

[beastintheeast]

My prediction is that Ottawa will go 4-1 in its remaining games (with the loss being in Brantford), finish with 83 points, and 5th in the eastern conference. How I see it shaking out:

1. Oshawa (~89 pts)
2. North Bay (~88 pts)
3. Brantford (~86 pts)
4. Sudbury (~85 pts)
5. Ottawa (~83 pts)
6. Mississauga (~82 pts)

Ottawa needs to run the table to have a shot at the #4 seed, but even then they need help I think. Should be an interesting finish.

LOL, you could be right, and that would be the best scenario. The top 3 are going to be powerful, and not really anyone I would want to play.

 

[ecraigs]

Yep, you got it. Admittedly I didn't factor in 3-pt games, or assume any "upsets" by the weaker teams. Something is likely to happen that upsets the apple cart.

The curse of the loser points. A team chasing two or three others must contend with the fact that they can win at most two points, while the teams that they are chasing can share in three points. The League should move to a three-point regulation win (and zero for a shootout loss). Or, maybe go back to treating a tie as an acceptable result. Yeah, I know this is revolutionary.

 

[PuckStop75]

The curse of the loser points. A team chasing two or three others must contend with the fact that they can win at most two points, while the teams that they are chasing can share in three points. The League should move to a three-point regulation win (and zero for a shootout loss). Or, maybe go back to treating a tie as an acceptable result. Yeah, I know this is revolutionary.

All in the interest of improving entertainment value for us! LOL

A three point game system has long been a beef of mine. Once a tie after regulation was awarded a point there had to be a bonus for winning in regulation. 3 pts for a win rewards the stronger teams who presumably win more games in regulation.

 

[OMG67]

MAcKenzie starts in net tonight. Stonehouse back in the lineup. No unusual lineup changes.

 

[AGranderson]

MAcKenzie starts in net tonight. Stonehouse back in the lineup. No unusual lineup changes.

#17 up to the big line, #24 down to L4

 

[mianjo]

67's lead 2-0 after 1

GOAL
#29 Cooper Foster (19) scores. Assists: #2 Derek Smyth, #11 Henry Mews
1st 6:09
+/-

GOAL
#27 Jacob Maillet (15) scores. Assists: #29 Cooper Foster, #5 Bradley Horner
1st 18:46

 

[mianjo]

4-0

GOAL
#27 Jacob Maillet (16) scores. #19 Samuel Mayer, #12 Braeden KresslerPOWER PLAY
2nd 3:16
+/-

GOAL
#24 Kimi Körbler (10) scores. . Assists: #28 Caden Kelly
2nd 3:48

 

[mianjo]

4-2

 

[mianjo]

5-2

GOAL
#20 Luca Pinelli (45) scores. Assists: #19 Samuel Mayer, #22 Matthew MayichPOWER PLAY
3rd 0:52

6-2

GOAL
#12 Braeden Kressler (27) scores. Assists: #24 Kimi Körbler
3rd 7:10

67's win 6-2

SHOTS ON GOAL
[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TH]Teams[/TH]
[TH]1st[/TH]
[TH]2nd[/TH]
[TH]3rd[/TH]
[TH]Total[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH]OTT[/TH]
[TD]20[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]38[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH]BAR[/TH]
[TD]5[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]20[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

STARS OF THE GAME​

FIRST
#12 Braeden Kressler C
G 1A 1+/- 0Ottawa

SECOND
#27 Jacob Maillet C
G 2A 1+/- +2Ottawa

THIRD
#24 Kimi Körbler RW
G 1A 1+/- +2Ottawa

 

[NoQuit67s]

Random Thoughts:

Jason Spezza was in the house, presumably to watch on draftee Coopy (yes, Coopy) Foster. I think Coopy had a hell of a game. Great passes, good puck fights and possession, 200 foot game, driving the net hard.

Just as I say Horner can't finish, he scores 2.

Maillet is playing well, but he is snake bitten as far as scoring goes (hopefully he takes a page out of the Horner situation I just mentioned above.

Was surprised about the Michelone start. I would think they would want to get MacK some work and continue to build confidence. I guess that worked itself out with MacK coming in in the 2nd and playing really well.

Mayer really good today.

Sean Reid is this era's Brad Beer (with Beer jr. being the heir apparent).

After getting elbowed to the head, Marelli lost his mind a little at the end of the game. Nice on Mayich to stick up for him though.

Lol,, well Maillet answered the call with two goals tonight.
I believe a few weeks back OMG pointed out the 67s needed to get him going, and now that has happened in time for the playoffs.

Now if only Gardiner could get his scoring touch back, we could have three lines adding some scoring depth for a long run in the playoffs

 

[OMG67]

Good score result. I’m not sure that was an example of consistent effort though. That is the problem with this type of game. It is really hard to be motivated when you play every second day and you get up 4-0 early in the 2nd.

Big game on Saturday. A win on Saturday and they pass Brantford in the standings. I guess we are cheering for Sudbury tomorrow night against Oshawa.

Four points separate 1st and 6th now. Unreal.

 

[PuckStop75]

Think we are finally starting to see the signs of wear and tear on Brantford from running with a depleted lineup. Ottawa put in a good effort last night, got some production on the PP, although Barrie's PK is worst in the league. Still need to tidy some things up in all three zones but can't really fault them in a 6-2 win. Stay healthy and focused on the things that matter in the final 4 games and they will be fine going into playoffs.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Think we are finally starting to see the signs of wear and tear on Brantford from running with a depleted lineup. Ottawa put in a good effort last night, got some production on the PP, although Barrie's PK is worst in the league. Still need to tidy some things up in all three zones but can't really fault them in a 6-2 win. Stay healthy and focused on the things that matter in the final 4 games and they will be fine going into playoffs.

Speaking of health, did we see Horner again after taking that big hit that resulted in the 5-minute major + match penalty (a questionable call, if I'm being fair)? I think he only played sparingly afterwards, but I'm not 100% certain.

Not sure if Stonehouse was impactful as Cameron would have liked, with Kressler + Pinelli. We'll see if he sticks with that line tomorrow. Personally, of all the linemates Cameron has tried with them, I like Gerrior the most.

I like that Cameron has found his 4th line with Barlas, Kelly, and Korbler. They could do a better job clearing their own zone some shifts, but in the o-zone they've been playing a physical game. I like that Kelly seems to have found his niche as a physical winger that can chip in with dirty goals from time to time.

 

[OMG67]

Think we are finally starting to see the signs of wear and tear on Brantford from running with a depleted lineup. Ottawa put in a good effort last night, got some production on the PP, although Barrie's PK is worst in the league. Still need to tidy some things up in all three zones but can't really fault them in a 6-2 win. Stay healthy and focused on the things that matter in the final 4 games and they will be fine going into playoffs.

Oshawa is currently on a good run but the last few games have been rocky. Their Barrie game set to the side, you see a pretty erratic game vs Brantford (Brantford was very undermanned), not the greatest game vs Ottawa and most suggest Mississauga should have won their last game. That points to something that has bothered me about Oshawa all season. Although they may be the best team in the division on paper, they just have not been inspiring in any real way. They’ve been inconsistent. They go through good and bad stretches. They don’t seem to have a second gear so when things go poorly, they don’t seem to have the drive to rebound. I’m starting to get that feeling, based on some of their recent thin wins, that they are poised to go into that next dip in performance. They do have a bit of a tough schedule to finish the season (2 vs Sudbury and 1 vs Kitchener) so we shall see where they truely stand going into the playoffs. If they nail down the division and go 3-1 to finish their schedule, I think they will be fine. Maybe they’ll have shrugged off some of that inconsistency. But, if they do falter a bit down the stretch here, it will be interesting to see what team enters the playoffs.

Brantford needs to get healthy. Plain and simple. They are dogged tired now. They’ve been running on fumes. A win tomorrow and the 67’s pass them in the standings and that is when so many said they were not catchable. Super impressive run for them though. They have that drive and 2nd gear that Oshawa doesn’t have.

 

[OMG67]

Speaking of health, did we see Horner again after taking that big hit that resulted in the 5-minute major + match penalty (a questionable call, if I'm being fair)? I think he only played sparingly afterwards, but I'm not 100% certain.

Not sure if Stonehouse was impactful as Cameron would have liked, with Kressler + Pinelli. We'll see if he sticks with that line tomorrow. Personally, of all the linemates Cameron has tried with them, I like Gerrior the most.

I like that Cameron has found his 4th line with Barlas, Kelly, and Korbler. They could do a better job clearing their own zone some shifts, but in the o-zone they've been playing a physical game. I like that Kelly seems to have found his niche as a physical winger that can chip in with dirty goals from time to time.

Horner came back and played but there were a lot of penalties which meant he wasn’t getting ice at 4 on 4 as well as the special teams. It seemed like he was fine. He threw a really good hit int he 3rd. Dumped the player into his bench.

Regarding the Match penalty, based on the OHL rulebook, it is a Match penalty. He was blindsided and it caused injury. So, based on that, it fits the definition. The question is whether blindside “clean” hits should be a penalty. IMO, if you go shoulder to shoulder and it is not a charging penalty, it should not be a penalty. But, I am a little more old school in that regard.

I agree about Stonehouse. He isn’t the type of player to work with those two. He is a much better compliment to Maillet or Gardiner. Gerrior is 3x more impactful with Pinelli and Kressler. But, I think Cameron is trying to squeeze some production out of the Gardiner line so I can understand the juggling. Unfortunately, this goes back to not getting that one extra winger. It is what it is. I think they are going to have to configure the Gardiner line as a shit down line. Try to put that line up against a top 6 line at 5 on 5 and focus on goal suppression. If they have a 3rd line that plays against other teams top lines and holds them scoreless, that is a win IMO. That allows one of the Kressler or Maillet lines going up against the oppositions 3rd line where we may see a mismatch and take advantage.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Horner came back and played but there were a lot of penalties which meant he wasn’t getting ice at 4 on 4 as well as the special teams. It seemed like he was fine. He threw a really good hit int he 3rd. Dumped the player into his bench.

Regarding the Match penalty, based on the OHL rulebook, it is a Match penalty. He was blindsided and it caused injury. So, based on that, it fits the definition. The question is whether blindside “clean” hits should be a penalty. IMO, if you go shoulder to shoulder and it is not a charging penalty, it should not be a penalty. But, I am a little more old school in that regard.

I agree about Stonehouse. He isn’t the type of player to work with those two. He is a much better compliment to Maillet or Gardiner. Gerrior is 3x more impactful with Pinelli and Kressler. But, I think Cameron is trying to squeeze some production out of the Gardiner line so I can understand the juggling. Unfortunately, this goes back to not getting that one extra winger. It is what it is. I think they are going to have to configure the Gardiner line as a shit down line. Try to put that line up against a top 6 line at 5 on 5 and focus on goal suppression. If they have a 3rd line that plays against other teams top lines and holds them scoreless, that is a win IMO. That allows one of the Kressler or Maillet lines going up against the oppositions 3rd line where we may see a mismatch and take advantage.

I saw a hard-clean shoulder-on-shoulder check, which is why I thought the 5-minute major was dubious. If "blindside" hits are majors, then the hit on Horner seems to fit the definition. I stepped away for a bit but glad to hear he was able to return and seemed fine.

Based on what I've seen, this would be my ideal lineup for the Brantford game tomorrow:

Pinelli - Kressler - Gerrior
Foster - Maillet - Horner
Stonehouse - Gardiner - Dever
Korbler - Barlas - Kelly

I suspect Cameron will go back to Korbler on the 1st line, but I really think Gerrior is much more impactful there as he has better finishing ability and puckhandling skills, and loses nothing to Korbler in speed or aggression on the forecheck. Additionally, I think Dever is too valuable to keep on the 4th line. I know he's not the best finisher, but has tremendous speed and plays well in his own zone. Stoney can be the triggerman on that line. I wouldn't hesitate to use a line of Gardiner, between Stoney and Dever, as a shutdown line.

 

[Larionov]

It's great to see Korbler rewarding the organization's confidence in him. He obviously struggled mightily in the first few months of the season, adjusting to everything - smaller ice, different style of game, new country, language, you name it. And the kid was barely 17 on top of it. Now in the back half of the year he is really coming on and looking far more confident, finding his scoring touch in the process. He's not even draft eligible this year - he doesn't turn 18 until after September 15, so he has to wait for the 2025 draft. If you were judging him purely on what you saw early you would have put him on a one way flight home - it's a good lesson about staying patient with young players...

 

[ScoutLife4]

Oshawa is currently on a good run but the last few games have been rocky. Their Barrie game set to the side, you see a pretty erratic game vs Brantford (Brantford was very undermanned), not the greatest game vs Ottawa and most suggest Mississauga should have won their last game. That points to something that has bothered me about Oshawa all season. Although they may be the best team in the division on paper, they just have not been inspiring in any real way. They’ve been inconsistent. They go through good and bad stretches. They don’t seem to have a second gear so when things go poorly, they don’t seem to have the drive to rebound. I’m starting to get that feeling, based on some of their recent thin wins, that they are poised to go into that next dip in performance. They do have a bit of a tough schedule to finish the season (2 vs Sudbury and 1 vs Kitchener) so we shall see where they truely stand going into the playoffs. If they nail down the division and go 3-1 to finish their schedule, I think they will be fine. Maybe they’ll have shrugged off some of that inconsistency. But, if they do falter a bit down the stretch here, it will be interesting to see what team enters the playoffs.

Brantford needs to get healthy. Plain and simple. They are dogged tired now. They’ve been running on fumes. A win tomorrow and the 67’s pass them in the standings and that is when so many said they were not catchable. Super impressive run for them though. They have that drive and 2nd gear that Oshawa doesn’t have.

I don't know how the words rocky and inconsistent can be used to describe this.
They are 9-1 in their last 10 and on a 8 game win streak against mostly top teams.
6 of those 7 are against some of the best teams in the OHL. -And they won them all.

"They have not been inspiring in any way" Huh? lol
I really feel like you are trying to talk yourself into thinking Oshawa is not as good as Ottawa lol.

 

[OMG67]

It's great to see Korbler rewarding the organization's confidence in him. He obviously struggled mightily in the first few months of the season, adjusting to everything - smaller ice, different style of game, new country, language, you name it. And the kid was barely 17 on top of it. Now in the back half of the year he is really coming on and looking far more confident, finding his scoring touch in the process. He's not even draft eligible this year - he doesn't turn 18 until after September 15, so he has to wait for the 2025 draft. If you were judging him purely on what you saw early you would have put him on a one way flight home - it's a good lesson about staying patient with young players...

I agree. The only point I could highlight that may not be accurate is the “organizations confidence in him.” As far as I am aware, they did try to acquire an Import at the deadline. To do they, they’d have had to either release Uronen or trade Korbler. I dont’ know which of those players were on their way out had they been able to work out a deadline deal but many suggest it would have been Korbler because he’d have been a viable skater going back in return. So, I am not too certain the organization was confident in him. I think it is more he managed to find a way to contribute when given a more viable opportunity.

The only issue I have with Korbler is he looks his best against the weaker teams. He doesn’t look all that great when he lines up against the stronger teams. He is too light. If he can gain some weight int he offseason, I think those deficiencies will begin to diminish and his added weight will make him more effective against the stronger teams.