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

[PuckStop75]

Brantford is going to be a handful in the playoffs if healthy. Tough rink to play in. Good goaltending from Drobac.

I agree with what you are saying but a the same time, the Western top teams have struggled since the deadline vs the top Eastern teams. You’d expect a better result than 3 on 3 OT wins in a skills competition. Post deadline, the top 6 teams in the East vs the top four in the West (London, Saginaw, Kitchener, and SSM):

Brantford 0-0-2 (4-1-0)
North Bay 2-1-0 (2-0-0)
Sudbury 2-1-1 (1-1-0)
Ottawa 1-2-2 (2-0-1)
Oshawa 2-0-1 (2-1-1)
Missy 1-0-1 (1-0-1)

Total 8-4-7 (12-3-3)

That speaks pretty loudly when the thought was the Western Conference top end teams would white wash the top Eastern conference teams. It shows the Eastern Conference teams are right there with them. It also shows there may be a bigger separation in overall talent in the west vs the east. The East may quite simply have more overall depth and is more competitive beating each other up in the top 6 vs only top 4 in the West.


I added the game records vs the 5th through 8th place teams in brackets. The East is killing the 5th through 8th teams since the deadline. It is showing how weak that section of their conference is. The top 4 in the West are feasting on those teams too.

I think the sample sizes are big enough at this point to at least acknowledge there is not a big difference, at least not what we may have thought. @dirty12 pointed it out about a month ago and I wasn’t so sure. I am pretty sure now. I think the proof is in the results over the second half post-deadline.

I do feel London is a wagon but I think he speedy teams that can jump on their defence and keep the pressure on can have success against them.

Come the playoffs they always have to play the games and anything can happen but I really don’t think the records necessarily reflect the quality of the teams, or what they will be capable off come playoff time.

 

[OMG67]

Come the playoffs they always have to play the games and anything can happen but I really don’t think the records necessarily reflect the quality of the teams, or what they will be capable off come playoff time.

Are you suggesting the West plays the East in the Final and pushes them out in 5? I think that’s the point. I can’t see it being a 5 game series. I see it more like the Hamilton/Windsor series where they thought Hamilton pushes out whatever Western Team comes into the Final in 5 games. Didn’t happen. I see the same this year. Five on Five OT games swings the balance back to the East or at least even. No skills competitions in OT. The close games we’ve seen will remain close.


Combined record of 20-7-10 for the top 6 vs the top 8 in the West is a strong win% (.674).

 

[PuckStop75]

I forgot to give the kudos to Marrelli tonight. That kid was a beast. He kept their best players to the outside and didn’t let them gain position in front. He was stripping pucks down low and on the half boards. He is so incredibly poised out there. he is clearly the best D-Man in our own zone right now and he is only 17. Mayich is pretty darned good as well at 19 so that is saying something that Marrelli is so smooth and poised.

A lot of times we like to draw comparisons to previous 67’s players and I am having a very hard time pushing out a comp. There may be a few of the bigger kids that he could be compared to but he doesn’t have the size to muscle guys off pucks in the same way as a kid like Ceci or Cuma could. Plus I think he is probably better defensively than most if not all of those bigger D-Men. He is sneaky quick and sneaky strong. He uses his foot speed well and finds the leverage points to make up for his lack of size vs big kids like Martone.

+3 tonight and very well deserved. Plays in all the tough spots against the top players too.

Mews and Marrelli both looked good tonight, the puck handling and skating is top notch. Where they struggle is with the more veteran guys who take better angles on plays and trap them into positions where they have to play physical which is to the benefit of the mature players. Both are going to be very good once they fill in and learn a few more tricks of the trade.

 

[PuckStop75]

Are you suggesting the West plays the East in the Final and pushes them out in 5? I think that’s the point. I can’t see it being a 5 game series. I see it more like the Hamilton/Windsor series where they thought Hamilton pushes out whatever Western Team comes into the Final in 5 games. Didn’t happen. I see the same this year. Five on Five OT games swings the balance back to the East or at least even. No skills competitions in OT. The close games we’ve seen will remain close.

I think the top 4 in the west are built for playoffs. In a finals series where both teams have been through the grind the team with more depth wins those games. London or Saginaw is just too much to handle for a team that did not load up properly.

 

[OMG67]

Mews and Marrelli both looked good tonight, the puck handling and skating is top notch. Where they struggle is with the more veteran guys who take better angles on plays and trap them into positions where they have to play physical which is to the benefit of the mature players. Both are going to be very good once they fill in and learn a few more tricks of the trade.

Mews only needs to pick his spots better. He has crazy offensive skill. Very evident. The issue is whether he is capable of picking his spots or not. I’ve seen it so many times int he past where the good offensive guys hold the puck too long or never learn because they think they are better than they are and won’t ever concede to smart plays. Let’s hope Mews isn’t that guy.

Marrelli is already great defensively. It is more a matter of whether he will develop into that point per game offensive guy without abandoning his defence to do it. He has a strong sense of when to step up and not abandon his responsibilities.

I think as long as they keep those two apart, I think they will both end up flourishing. Mews will always need a partner that thinks defence first. he will free wheel a lot (good or bad). He needs his partner to be his defensive conscience. Marrelli would be wasted in that role.

 

[PuckStop75]

Mews only needs to pick his spots better. He has crazy offensive skill. Very evident. The issue is whether he is capable of picking his spots or not. I’ve seen it so many times int he past where the good offensive guys hold the puck too long or never learn because they think they are better than they are and won’t ever concede to smart plays. Let’s hope Mews isn’t that guy.

Marrelli is already great defensively. It is more a matter of whether he will develop into that point per game offensive guy without abandoning his defence to do it. He has a strong sense of when to step up and not abandon his responsibilities.

I think as long as they keep those two apart, I think they will both end up flourishing. Mews will always need a partner that thinks defence first. he will free wheel a lot (good or bad). He needs his partner to be his defensive conscience. Marrelli would be wasted in that role.

Completely agree, they will both always need a physical presence beside them as neither is going to be dominating in front of their own net or deep in the zone.

 

[OMG67]

I think the top 4 in the west are built for playoffs. In a finals series where both teams have been through the grind the team with more depth wins those games. London or Saginaw is just too much to handle for a team that did not load up properly.

I would narrow that down to top 2 in the West. I don’t feel Kitchener nor SSM are on the same level competitive wise as the other two when it comes to overall depth. I’d be shocked if either of those teams upset London or Saginaw. I honestly feel both of those teams would lose to the top 4-5 in the East. I discount Missy because of their youth. They aren’t ready this year. But, each of the other five teams likely are. The goaltending alone on four of the top 5 Eastern teams is as good or better than most anything in the west outside Simpson. DiVin, MacK, Drobac, and Oster are probably four of the top 5 goalies in the league right now. Maybe toss Leanders or Ivankovic in there as well. I am not sold on Oke. Parsons is decent but nothing special. I wouldn’t put either of those guys into the top 5.

 

[PuckStop75]

I would narrow that down to top 2 in the West. I don’t feel Kitchener nor SSM are on the same level competitive wise as the other two when it comes to overall depth. I’d be shocked if either of those teams upset London or Saginaw. I honestly feel both of those teams would lose to the top 4-5 in the East. I discount Missy because of their youth. They aren’t ready this year. But, each of the other five teams likely are. The goaltending alone on four of the top 5 Eastern teams is as good or better than most anything in the west outside Simpson. DiVin, MacK, Drobac, and Oster are probably four of the top 5 goalies in the league right now. Maybe toss Leanders or Ivankovic in there as well. I am not sold on Oke. Parsons is decent but nothing special. I wouldn’t put either of those guys into the top 5.

I agree that it’s unlikely the Soo or Kitch win the west but I wouldn’t say they are outclassed by any team in the east. The parody at the 2nd level is just a little deeper this year than usual, an no team in the east truly loaded up and separated at the top.

 

[PuckStop75]

I would add Carter George to the goalie discussion, but OS is out the mix IMO so not really a factor in this playoff season.

 

[dirty12]

I agree that it’s unlikely the Soo or Kitch win the west but I wouldn’t say they are outclassed by any team in the east. The parody at the 2nd level is just a little deeper this year than usual, an no team in the east truly loaded up and separated at the top.

There may not be noticeable separation at the top of the east but all of Brantford, NB, Oshawa, Ottawa, and Sudbury improved their teams more this season than all but Saginaw. The Rangers D is considerably worse than it was when Hamara and Schmidt were on it.
Oshawa became an entirely different team after Ritchie returned and added Lockhart and Punnet. Ottawa is much different team post deadline as well. Sudbury had Dvorsky fall in their lap, added 3-19 yr old D, added G depth possibly their playoff starter, and improved their 3rd-OA spot. North Bay is a really good team with a ton of playoff experience.

 

[AGranderson]

That was a terrible effort today after some good hockey the last little while we looked terrible today. Specially the top line & Mack

 

[HUSH10]

That was a terrible effort today after some good hockey the last little while we looked terrible today. Specially the top line & Mack

keep it up for Tuesday please

 

[ecraigs]

That was a terrible effort today after some good hockey the last little while we looked terrible today. Specially the top line & Mack

Repeated breakaways leading to two goals, including a shorthanded goal early in the first. One of them came on a bailout line change that left an Otters forward all alone at our blue line with the puck. Fifty-nine games into the year and we get a Novice hockey line change.

I hate "Legacy" games. The home team usually comes out off their feed. It's up to the coaches to mute that noise.

 

[OMG67]

Sloppy play backed up by a horrid performance by MacK. He was beaten cleanly one on one way too many times today. Regardless of how awful they played, they still win that game with average goaltending. They didn’t get that today.

Shake it off and focus on Tuesday.

 

[analyser]

That was a terrible effort today after some good hockey the last little while we looked terrible today. Specially the top line & Mack

The  D looked like they were just learning how to play hockey. 2 on 1s, breakaways and no plan on how to exit their own zone. Mack looked awful.

 

[Larionov]

I hate "Legacy" games. The home team usually comes out off their feed. It's up to the coaches to mute that noise.

Agree with this fully. The marketing staff like them because it helps them sell tickets and goose interest but you're right - every time the 67's have one of these, the home team goes out and soils the sheets...

 

[NoQuit67s]

Nice tribute from Zenon Konopka for his buddy Lance Galbraith though.
He probably had that weighing on his heart for a while now...

 

[PuckStop75]

The  D looked like they were just learning how to play hockey. 2 on 1s, breakaways and no plan on how to exit their own zone. Mack looked awful.

These games happen in junior hockey, just can’t be having any more of these if they are going to make a push up the standings.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Cameron was shuffling the D pairings all game, which may have contributed to some of the poor play by the defense group as a whole today. Mews back with Marrelli, Mayich with Mayer. Why mess with a good thing?

Time will tell if this was an aberration or a true cause for concern. First poor effort since that Kingston game 3 or so weeks ago. Big game in Oshawa on Tuesday.

MacKenzie needs to be a lot better.

While in a losing cause today, Maillet has been very good since being put between Foster and Horner and made a nice play on the game trying goal that was waived off with 1:30 left.

Full credit to Erie who came in a executed on a good game plan. Erie is a well coached team and Ottawa had a lot of trouble penetrating on the forecheck and getting to the middle of the ice. Lots of bodies and sticks in the way when Kressler and Pinelli were working down low (cause for concern for the 67s in the playoffs? Maybe…). Reminds me of a much less talented version of last years Petes team.

 

[OMG67]

Cameron was shuffling the D pairings all game, which may have contributed to some of the poor play by the defense group as a whole today. Mews back with Marrelli, Mayich with Mayer. Why mess with a good thing?

Time will tell if this was an aberration or a true cause for concern. First poor effort since that Kingston game 3 or so weeks ago. Big game in Oshawa on Tuesday.

MacKenzie needs to be a lot better.

While in a losing cause today, Maillet has been very good since being put between Foster and Horner and made a nice play on the game trying goal that was waived off with 1:30 left.

Full credit to Erie who came in a executed on a good game plan. Erie is a well coached team and Ottawa had a lot of trouble penetrating on the forecheck and getting to the middle of the ice. Lots of bodies and sticks in the way when Kressler and Pinelli were working down low (cause for concern for the 67s in the playoffs? Maybe…). Reminds me of a much less talented version of last years Petes team.

It actually started with reconfigured lines. Gerrior taken off the 1st one and replaced with Korbler. Dever dropped to the 4th line with Barlas. Gerrior ending up beside Gardiner and Stonehouse. That line may not have contributed a lot of offence but they did actually play fairly well. Again, to reiterate on what you said, they have a winning streak going and instead of simply inserting Whitehead for injured Kelly on the 4th line, Cameron went and juggled the lines up for some strange reason. Even with 10 minutes left in the 3rd and down 3 goals, he was rolling 4 lines and didn’t concentrate the lines to three. Once he did, they scored two goals.

Sometimes I don't understand Cameron at all.

 

[AGranderson]

It actually started with reconfigured lines. Gerrior taken off the 1st one and replaced with Korbler. Dever dropped to the 4th line with Barlas. Gerrior ending up beside Gardiner and Stonehouse. That line may not have contributed a lot of offence but they did actually play fairly well. Again, to reiterate on what you said, they have a winning streak going and instead of simply inserting Whitehead for injured Kelly on the 4th line, Cameron went and juggled the lines up for some strange reason. Even with 10 minutes left in the 3rd and down 3 goals, he was rolling 4 lines and didn’t concentrate the lines to three. Once he did, they scored two goals.

Sometimes I don't understand Cameron at all.

You said exactly what I was thinking. Why even touch those lines. It should have been as simple as insert whitehead for the injured Kelly. DC makes some very strange coaching decisions sometimes that don’t work.

 

[Race Dawg]

Not sure if someone already mentioned thus but what was with all the Erie fans in the stands on Sunday? Not a good showing on TV to see so many people up cheering on the Erie goals TBH. Now I know one of their players was from Ottawa but that was weak.

Also I know these changes were made a while ago but stil prefer the vistor's bench of the south side as the north looked better when it was all just Ottawa.

 

[beastintheeast]

Not sure if someone already mentioned thus but what was with all the Erie fans in the stands on Sunday? Not a good showing on TV to see so many people up cheering on the Erie goals TBH. Now I know one of their players was from Ottawa but that was weak.

Also I know these changes were made a while ago but stil prefer the vistor's bench of the south side as the north looked better when it was all just Ottawa.

Some teams and their booster clubs still organize team weekends. Bet they had a great time.

Used to have Ottawa weekends but not sure if they still do

OMG67 can probably remind me but I can remember teams that would do Kingston Friday afternoon or Sunday game with us and also take in a Sens game.

 

[ZinErie]

Not sure if someone already mentioned thus but what was with all the Erie fans in the stands on Sunday? Not a good showing on TV to see so many people up cheering on the Erie goals TBH. Now I know one of their players was from Ottawa but that was weak.

Also I know these changes were made a while ago but stil prefer the vistor's bench of the south side as the north looked better when it was all just Ottawa.

I saw on the Otters Facebook page that a group of Otters fans did the 3 game road trip. Not sure if it was the booster club,but seems likely. At least 4 Otters are from the Ottawa area I believe I heard on your TV broadcast.

 

[OttersFan]

Not sure if someone already mentioned thus but what was with all the Erie fans in the stands on Sunday? Not a good showing on TV to see so many people up cheering on the Erie goals TBH. Now I know one of their players was from Ottawa but that was weak.

Also I know these changes were made a while ago but stil prefer the vistor's bench of the south side as the north looked better when it was all just Ottawa.

Our booster club is nonexistent. It was a homecoming game for 4 of our players. There’s a few players whose parents travel to every game in crowds.

I would suspect Carey Terrance had a huge crowd since his reservation is only an hour and a half away from Ottawa.