Ottawa 67's 2023-24 Season Thread (Part 2)

[PuckStop75]

In all fairness, they are 2-2-1 since the trades and had tough road games followed by one of the best teams in the league on Friday. Not the greatest measuring stick. They should have nailed down the win today but shit happens. The trades weren’t meant to propel this team to the top of the Eastern Conference but to be competitive with the top of the Conference. The West is better for sure. That said, we only had 10 games against the Western Conference teams (including bottom feeders in that conference), with the rest against the eastern Conference. We wouldn’t need to worry about the Western conference in the playoffs until the Final. So, really, the trades were made to stack up against the East. Four of those ten games have now been played. Six remain. Three of those against Sarnia, Flint and Erie, all beatable teams.

Once we get back from Saginaw on the 4th, we will have 4 tough games left on the schedule with the rest being beatable teams. Three of those four tough games at home.

Provided the team finds its chemistry and gets its pairings together optimally, they should have a strong finishing 21 game stretch into the playoffs.

The thing with the trades that they made was that they had to blend those players in, not just shuffle the young guys to the bottom of the lineup. Mews is still their best puck moving D and needs a veteran partner. Marrelli also needs a veteran guy (Mayer) to play with. Smyth and Sirman are not top 4 D and should never be in that roll.

On forward it is going to take some time to sort out the lines as far as who fits with whom in the top 9, the centres are pretty set based on what we have seen with Kressler, Maillet and Foster. Stonehouse doesn't have the skills to drive a line so he needs to figure out how to play with other players.

There is still a level of maturity to be figured out with this team, roughing and cross checking penalties while playing with a 4-1 (5-2) lead is just undisciplined. We saw with the Petes last year, it doesn't matter what they do in Jan & Feb but they better have it figured out by mid March.

 

[Logosarejusttargets]

Classic

i sound like a hypocrite after whining about the refs in the kingston game -- but you 67 fans can't always blame the refs when you lose. I heard it both 67 vs Fronts games that I went to Ottawa a couple weeks back and see it on the boards. You start complaining if Reid or Beer are your refs before the game even starts - rarely see much criticism when you win though?

 

[dirty12]

The ‘dumb s**t’ is coached. It has seemed to me as much a part of the system for the ‘67s as it is for the Knights.
I think two of Ottawa/Brantford/Oshawa at 4-5 will be every bit as tough as SSM/OS/Guelph.

 

[PuckStop75]

The ‘dumb s**t’ is coached. It has seemed to me as much a part of the system for the ‘67s as it is for the Knights.
I think two of Ottawa/Brantford/Oshawa at 4-5 will be every bit as tough as SSM/OS/Guelph.

Absolutely it is coached, but the players have to be selective about when they do the dumbs**t and make sure they take another player with them when they do.

 

[OMG67]

For clarification…

1> They need to kill penalties. The unfortuNate part is they received a weak call on Pinelli late int he game. It was a 5-2 call. If it were a 4-4 tie, there is no way that gets called. Smyth was stupid. I agree with nords. That was a heavy crosscheck in front of the net. Additionally, it was done after the puck had been tipped and was heading to the corner. There was no reason to do it at all. The Gardiner penalty was a farce. I could get behind the Pinelli penalty with not a lot of argument because it was a 5-2 score and we know the officials are mostly doing game management at that point. But when the puck carrier gets hit from behind face first into the dasher board and there is no call, you have to allow the player to at least stick up for himself a bit. Calling that crosscheck after that play when not calling the actual dangerous penalty is ridiculous, especially right after giving a 5 on 3. That penalty call was inexcusable under the circumstances.

2> The 67’s are a smaller team so they are more likely to take the stick fouls. Like it or not, it is necessary to a point. But, the bigger players need to play big. There is no reason for a kid like Smyth to take stick fouls.

3> The 67’s are 2-2-1 post-deadline. IMO, they gave a point away to Brantford and lost a point to Owen Sound. Considering we are almost fully overturned down the middle, it is not a bad result. It would have been nice to get points against Kitchener or Saginaw, but it wasn’t expected. I fully expect this team to settle in, learn from mistakes, and press forward.

4> We’ve given up too many goals lately BUT, that is not on MacK. He has played very well which is a great sign. Once the team tightens back up and gets back into more disciplined play (which we have seen for the last year and a half), they will motor along nicely. I am not worried.

 

[OMG67]

Any suggestions on what to spend a free $100 on?

I think it is a little early to start flexing, no? Brantford looks a lot better than expected post-deadline but they’ve had a soft schedule the last six games. I don’t anticipate they will be able to maintain this current pace. They have two easy wins coming up against Niagara and Kingston but then they have six tougher ones after that.

We will see where the two teams are when we get to Valentine’s Day. Oshawa will hang in there. They have a relatively soft schedule through the end of February but their March schedule is tough.

Ottawa has only a small handful of tough games left. Their overall schedule the rest of the way isn’t bad.

 

[NoQuit67s]

i sound like a hypocrite after whining about the refs in the kingston game -- but you 67 fans can't always blame the refs when you lose. I heard it both 67 vs Fronts games that I went to Ottawa a couple weeks back and see it on the boards. You start complaining if Reid or Beer are your refs before the game even starts - rarely see much criticism when you win though?

Heck I still complain about Brad Beer

 

[OMG67]

i sound like a hypocrite after whining about the refs in the kingston game -- but you 67 fans can't always blame the refs when you lose. I heard it both 67 vs Fronts games that I went to Ottawa a couple weeks back and see it on the boards. You start complaining if Reid or Beer are your refs before the game even starts - rarely see much criticism when you win though?

I really don’t think that is a fair assessment. I know I posted yesterday but outside that, it is rare you will find a bitchy refs post in the 67’s thread. It doesn’t happen often. When it does, it would usually be about a certain dangerous play uncalled, not a finger pointing about a loss. And to be clear, I wouldn’t have posted anything at all had it only been Pinelli and Smyth calls. It was the dangerous non-call on Gardiner followed by his penalty after he got himself off the ice. This after Kressler got smashed last weekend in a similar play uncalled Where he missed the remainder of the game in concussion protocol. It is fair game to question obvious non-calls on dangerous plays. But, you suggesting those are used as an excuse for losing on this thread is simply wrong. If anything, we get opposition fans coming on here complaining about how mouthy and chippy the 67’s players are And how they should be hauled off the ice more.

If you are referring to live game action, then I cannot say anything other than you get loads of fans in all rinks bitching about officiating. I get it almost every game I go to out of town with some guy or two chatting about how bad the officiating is etc. It happens everywhere and almost all the time.

Heck I still complain about Brad Beer

Now you can complain about his son!

 

[NordiquesForeva]

I keep coming back to the fact that the 67s were cruising to a 5-2 win against a strong team (albeit at the end of a road trip) with a little over 5 minutes remaining. We'd all be happy with that, eh? Outstanding goaltending from MacKenzie, secondary scoring from Gardiner/Gerrior, and a really solid defensive performance against a good team.

The key issues are stemming from yesterday's game are:

1) Penalty killing: Being 2-men down is tough, but the team has to bear down there and kill off those 5-on-4's with the game on the line. Simply no excuses there.

2) Lack of discipline relative to the game situation: While I'm not a fan of Pinelli's stuff in corners/scrums, its part of his game but he has to recognize the game situation and not give the referee an opportunity to make a call there. I have no issues with the Smyth call, what he did was dumb and unsurprising from that particular player. I didn't see the Gardiner play from my vantage point, but Gardiner is a clean/disciplined player so I can assume that call would have been the one I'd want the ref to put his whistle in his pocket for or at least take both sides.

3) Taking our foot off the gas in the 3rd. During Cameron's tenure I find the team does this from time to time. Credit to Owen Sound too for their perseverance, but you could see the momentum shift in the 3rd even before the penalty-filled last 5 minutes.

4) I really wanted the team to pick up MacKenzie after he made the mother of all saves in OT. Kressler and Pinelli need to bear down there on the 2-on-1 and salvage the 2 points.

Pissing and moaning about refereeing is unproductive. Cameron needs to really lean in on the PKing and our ability to close off games; that's two points lost over the last week due to last minute comebacks by Brantford and OS. Part of that is discipline and understanding game situation. Kressler and Pinelli can simply their approach imho. Smyth is a personnel issue that we're not going to solve this season, aside from bench management/not having him out there at critical times. I know I've been singling him out quite a bit recently but I see him as a weak link in an otherwise solid defense group.

 

[OMG67]

I keep coming back to the fact that the 67s were cruising to a 5-2 win against a strong team (albeit at the end of a road trip) with a little over 5 minutes remaining. We'd all be happy with that, eh? Outstanding goaltending from MacKenzie, secondary scoring from Gardiner/Gerrior, and a really solid defensive performance against a good team.

The key issues are stemming from yesterday's game are:

1) Penalty killing: Being 2-men down is tough, but the team has to bear down there and kill off those 5-on-4's with the game on the line. Simply no excuses there.

2) Lack of discipline relative to the game situation: While I'm not a fan of Pinelli's stuff in corners/scrums, its part of his game but he has to recognize the game situation and not give the referee an opportunity to make a call there. I have no issues with the Smyth call, what he did was dumb and unsurprising from that particular player. I didn't see the Gardiner play from my vantage point, but Gardiner is a clean/disciplined player so I can assume that call would have been the one I'd want the ref to put his whistle in his pocket for or at least take both sides.

3) Taking our foot off the gas in the 3rd. During Cameron's tenure I find the team does this from time to time. Credit to Owen Sound too for their perseverance, but you could see the momentum shift in the 3rd even before the penalty-filled last 5 minutes.

4) I really wanted the team to pick up MacKenzie after he made the mother of all saves in OT. Kressler and Pinelli need to bear down there on the 2-on-1 and salvage the 2 points.

Pissing and moaning about refereeing is unproductive. Cameron needs to really lean in on the PKing and our ability to close off games; that's two points lost over the last week due to last minute comebacks by Brantford and OS. Part of that is discipline and understanding game situation. Kressler and Pinelli can simply their approach imho. Smyth is a personnel issue that we're not going to solve this season, aside from bench management/not having him out there at critical times. I know I've been singling him out quite a bit recently but I see him as a weak link in an otherwise solid defense group.

Regarding Smyth, the coaching staff seems to have confidence in him. I don’t know why. It is not that he is a bad defenseman. He is not the ideal type of D-Man for this team. I am sure in a more appropriate situation with a different team, he would be fine.

Regarding the officiating etc, we need to zero in on the dangerous plays not getting called. No matter what we say about discipline, the dangerous plays need to be called more consistently, even if the officials get it wrong now and then, it is better to err on the side of caution. We saw it last week with Kressler right in front of the official 10 feet away and again yesterday with the puck carrier. I just went to watch the replay of it and it is pretty clear that Gardiner got head crunched into the dasher and when they exited the play, he gave the OS player a bit of a shot. How that can be called in that situation is beyond me. The official down low was the one who called it and he had a clear line of sight on it.

The main reason I point all of that out is not to make an excuse necessarily for a loss but to highlight what you are talking about with respect to how they played, not the result. The result sucks but it was more of a robbery than an earned loss. There is a difference. The 67’s walked away with a robbery their fair share of times this year because of MacKenzie. The two games against SSM are fine examples. SSM didn’t lose those games. They earned the win but didn’t get iit because of a goaltending clinic.

I liken yesterday to that. The 67’s earned the win yesterday and from a confidence standpoint, they need to look at it that way. Sure, there are things to tighten up on but like you point out, the positives yesterday far outweigh the negatives. It is not like we are going to experience mistakes in officiating like that on a regular basis. If we play like we did yesterday consistently through the remainder of the year, we will make out far better than yesterday’s result.

 

[PuckStop75]

the better teams find ways to win hockey games even when maybe they don't get all the calls. This team is still sorting out its identity at this stage but lets not cloud the matter, there is some maturing to happen.

Also, adding Mayer was a positive but missing that top 4 RD is really hurting them in their own end right now. Particularly on the PK, Smyth, Sirman and Mayich trying to play on their wrong side isn't working. Pucks are getting to the slot and not being cleared the way they need to.

Moving the only true RD in Mews to the 3rd pairing is just beyond understanding.

 

[beastintheeast]

I think it is a little early to start flexing, no? Brantford looks a lot better than expected post-deadline but they’ve had a soft schedule the last six games. I don’t anticipate they will be able to maintain this current pace. They have two easy wins coming up against Niagara and Kingston but then they have six tougher ones after that.

We will see where the two teams are when we get to Valentine’s Day. Oshawa will hang in there. They have a relatively soft schedule through the end of February but their March schedule is tough.

Ottawa has only a small handful of tough games left. Their overall schedule the rest of the way isn’t bad.

Here is my take on what I see.

I see a Brantford team that has a slight advantage on home ice and is playing well and being coached well. I read OMG and others stating well, they are not that good on paper and should start to falter. I think before we start that talk we need to look at the NHL. Last year and this year, all the pundits said that Boston would not or could not run the league. Guess what? They ran away with the regular season last year, and this year, they are still the top team in their division. So hoping Brantford falters seems to be an idol dream.

We also heard a lot of people talking about how good after the deadline Ottawa and Kingston would be.

Neither team is doing much of anything but looking at being the bottom seeds in the conference. You can talk about well, they need to learn to gell they need this or just wait, or they have a bad schedule, or Sorry teacher, but the dog ate my homework, or I will feel better if everyone else starts to falter.


I think everyone here knows what excuses are good for. The bottom line is that the 67s are playing like crap. OMG67 said just wait. What we need is an OA Center and an OA D, and we will be awesome and be the top team in the division. Well, we got the exact player he asked Santa for. He got not one but 2 OA centers that are supposed to be good.

Since the deadline, we have won 2 games, both of them the first games that the new players would have played. Since then we have lost to
Kitchener (last game of a 3-3 wknd)
Saginaw ( not the top team in the league but still definitely better)

The we had Owen sound. we are up 5-2 and still lose.

Only the Pats have a worse 10-game record than us.

We may have an easy schedule. Personally, we have 14 games against teams that are presently better than us. and if you look at the division, everyone has a fairly balanced schedule.

MY QUESTION IS

How long do we use the
when we
When they
they will
we will

Again, remember , OMG67 to appoint sounds like a boxer going into the ring with a young Mike Tyson or Ali. Yeah, I can beat him because, eventually, he is not going to be that tough.

 

[OMG67]

Here is my take on what I see.

I see a Brantford team that has a slight advantage on home ice and is playing well and being coached well. I read OMG and others stating well, they are not that good on paper and should start to falter. I think before we start that talk we need to look at the NHL. Last year and this year, all the pundits said that Boston would not or could not run the league. Guess what? They ran away with the regular season last year, and this year, they are still the top team in their division. So hoping Brantford falters seems to be an idol dream.

We also heard a lot of people talking about how good after the deadline Ottawa and Kingston would be.

Neither team is doing much of anything but looking at being the bottom seeds in the conference. You can talk about well, they need to learn to gell they need this or just wait, or they have a bad schedule, or Sorry teacher, but the dog ate my homework, or I will feel better if everyone else starts to falter.


I think everyone here knows what excuses are good for. The bottom line is that the 67s are playing like crap. OMG67 said just wait. What we need is an OA Center and an OA D, and we will be awesome and be the top team in the division. Well, we got the exact player he asked Santa for. He got not one but 2 OA centers that are supposed to be good.

Since the deadline, we have won 2 games, both of them the first games that the new players would have played. Since then we have lost to
Kitchener (last game of a 3-3 wknd)
Saginaw ( not the top team in the league but still definitely better)

The we had Owen sound. we are up 5-2 and still lose.

Only the Pats have a worse 10-game record than us.

We may have an easy schedule. Personally, we have 14 games against teams that are presently better than us. and if you look at the division, everyone has a fairly balanced schedule.

MY QUESTION IS

How long do we use the
when we
When they
they will
we will

Again, remember , OMG67 to appoint sounds like a boxer going into the ring with a young Mike Tyson or Ali. Yeah, I can beat him because, eventually, he is not going to be that tough.

This is a ridiculous take after only five games. For those that have watched the games, they have seen a much better team than we saw in the first half while trying to integrate three key players.

 

[PuckStop75]

This team is much improved with the players they added. There is still some mismanagement of assets happening at the moment and I fear the team is too soft to make it to the finals. But, I still expect them to sort things out and be one of the better teams in the east by the end of the season. It would be nice to see them hold a 2-3 seed but not sure it will really matters. There is going to be some competitive series in the east 2nd round on.

 

[OMG67]

This team is much improved with the players they added. There is still some mismanagement of assets happening at the moment and I fear the team is too soft to make it to the finals. But, I still expect them to sort things out and be one of the better teams in the east by the end of the season. It would be nice to see them hold a 2-3 seed but not sure it will really matters. There is going to be some competitive series in the east 2nd round on.

I see NB as the clear Favourite in the Eastern Conference right now. Then there is a group of teams from 2-7 where we need another 3-4 weeks to start seeing where the separations will be.

I suspected Brantford to slip a bit. Their stats aren’t reflective of a team that would win the division. They have a +2 goal differential, have eight extra time losses, are under 100% combined Special Teams and they sold a couple key players at the deadline which would suggest they will not get better relative to the other teams. Although they sit atop the division, I don’t see it very likely they will stay there. They have a relatively weak remaining schedule with 15 home games vs 11 away. That will help balance out some of the negatives. So, they do have some things in their favour.

Oshawa is the scarier team. They have a +37 goal differential and a 102% Special Teams. They didn’t do a lot at the deadline but they had Ritchie out much of the year and added maybe the best available D-Man at the deadline in Connor Punnett. No disrespect meant to Donovan but Punnett as an OA may be a A similar player from an impact perspective. They do have more road games than home games so that will hurt them and they have a bit of a tougher schedule than most.

Sudbury didn’t do near enough to address their gaps at the deadline. They overpaid tremendously to add the players they added. That said, they still have a strong group of players that may find a way to make it all work. They are inconsistent and give up way too many goals but they do score a lot of goals too. They will get into some shootouts in the scoreboard and they lack discipline. They are a bit of a wildcard but I place them easily in the 2nd tier of teams.

Kingston is inconsistent and are learning a new system. I liken them to the 67’s post-Covid break. New coach teaching the players a new system takes a solid year to build the culture and get bodies that align with the new program. Collectively, they have a good group of players but I think if there is a separation, it is likely here.

Mississauga is still young and they lack experienced depth on the back end. They take a lo tof penalties which is a sign of youth. They will be a strong team next year and their goaltending should hold them in games this year but I think they are a 3rd tier team this season. They probably sit with Kingston.

Ottawa needs to simply find some chemistry throughout the lineup with the new additions. You can see the much improved puck movement and stronger possessions. MacK seems healthy. They still lack that extra winger and D-Man that will keep them from doing damage in the playoffs but they should emerge as a Division winner. It will be a battle with Oshawa the rest of the way. I’m not liking their chances in the playoffs. I can’t see them progress past the 2nd round to be honest. They needed to bring in five players but they only brought in three. It was enough to be much more competitive in the regular season but not enough to be competitive in the post season. They could get two favourable matchups but they’d need a little luck. Maybe a Missy/Sudbury round 1 and 2 would be ideal for them. I don’t think they would beat Oshawa in round 2. Kingston has given them trouble all year. That may be a tough round one opponent. I don’t think they could beat Brantford in their rink so that series would be very difficult as well.

Anyway, this is how I see the Eastern Conference right now…

1 - North Bay
2/3/4 - Ottawa, Sudbury and Oshawa
5 - Brantford
6/7 - Kingston and Mississauga
8/9/10 - Barrie, Peterborough, and Niagara

 

[OMG67]

Note that Mews has dropped to the 2nd round in MacKenzie’s latest draft rankings. That is an honest reflection of how poorly his game has progressed from rookie to sophomore.

He is young so don’t take this as me dumping on him but I see a lot of Brendan Bell in his game. All the tools but no tool box. He needs to find a way to utilize his ability in a more constructive manner. He makes a lot of overly aggressive plays that result in turnovers in very bad spots on the ice. He pushes the play in directions that don’t make sense unless he is able to deke through multiple players or squeeze through very tight spots along the boards. He tries to squeeze the puck through tight holes in bad areas on the ice.

He seems to play the game as a right winger but from the defence position. The types of agressive plays he makes are fine as a right winger because there is support behind him. But, as a D-Man, the only thing behind you is empty ice surface.

I’d like to see him with Smyth on the 3rd pairing 5 on 5. Smyth would have a very defined role and Mews would get more sheltered 5 on 5 minutes while playing against other teams depth players where he could feast. It would lessen the impact of his mistakes.

 

[HockeyPops]

Moving the only true RD in Mews to the 3rd pairing is just beyond understanding.

I’d like to see him with Smyth on the 3rd pairing 5 on 5. Smyth would have a very defined role and Mews would get more sheltered 5 on 5 minutes while playing against other teams depth players where he could feast. It would lessen the impact of his mistakes.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Personally, I don't think Mews is the problem on our back-end. In the right situation/role, he could be much more of an offensive contributor on our back-end than he currently is. Right now, he is playing with Marrelli on our de facto 3rd pairing. Marrelli is more of a jack of all trades type defensemen, but the fact is he's still only 17 years old and prone to making mistakes.

To get the most out of Mews, I would pair him up with Mayich. Mayich is our best defender, and has the size, physicality, and skating ability to cover for Mews's defensive lapses or turnovers. Having Mayich as a partner would provide an opportunity for Mews to take more chances offensively. I wouldn't pair Mews up with Smyth because Smyth is also very mistake prone, and quite poor at d-zone coverage (also Mews' biggest weakness). Also, I feel like Smyth has been dragging down the play of Mayich in recent games and a change is needed there. To me, Smyth's biggest strengths are his puck moving ability, which is not what you'd normally think it would be, but which would be redundant with Mews. However, he has a significantly lower ceiling and PMD capability relative to Mews so I'd prefer if Mews got more ice time alongside Mayich.

Mayer should continue partnering with Sirman. Its been a good and productive pairing so far. Then, Marrelli and Smyth on the 3rd pairing.

 

[ScoutLife4]

Dever being out hurt you're team defensively over the last month or so.
He is a very good 200FT player and plays a key part in back checking and retrieving pucks from what i have seen with Ottawa,.
It's common to see teams that struggle to score forget about the defensive side of the puck sometimes. This team has not played to it's identity in most of the games i have watched.

 

[OMG67]

Personally, I don't think Mews is the problem on our back-end. In the right situation/role, he could be much more of an offensive contributor on our back-end than he currently is. Right now, he is playing with Marrelli on our de facto 3rd pairing. Marrelli is more of a jack of all trades type defensemen, but the fact is he's still only 17 years old and prone to making mistakes.

To get the most out of Mews, I would pair him up with Mayich. Mayich is our best defender, and has the size, physicality, and skating ability to cover for Mews's defensive lapses or turnovers. Having Mayich as a partner would provide an opportunity for Mews to take more chances offensively. I wouldn't pair Mews up with Smyth because Smyth is also very mistake prone, and quite poor at d-zone coverage (also Mews' biggest weakness). Also, I feel like Smyth has been dragging down the play of Mayich in recent games and a change is needed there. To me, Smyth's biggest strengths are his puck moving ability, which is not what you'd normally think it would be, but which would be redundant with Mews. However, he has a significantly lower ceiling and PMD capability relative to Mews so I'd prefer if Mews got more ice time alongside Mayich.

Mayer should continue partnering with Sirman. Its been a good and productive pairing so far. Then, Marrelli and Smyth on the 3rd pairing.

Generally speaking, I think we agree BUT the area where we disagree is born fromthe fact we didn’t’ get the appropriate 6th D-Man to replace Smyth.

The reason why I am advocating for a Marreli-Mayich pairing is because I feel Marrelli is the better D-Man at this point in time than Mews. If that is a top 2 pairing 5 on 5, I feel having the better and more responsible d-Man on the ice for more minutes makes more sense. Placing Marrelli with Smyth makes that a 3rd pairing so we have likely our 3rd best D-Man sitting on the bench too much. Placing Mews with Smyth is more about ensuring Marrelli is on the ice more Since he is more responsible.

This all boils down to them not getting that 6th D-Man on the right side. Had we acquired that guy, placing him with Marrelli would have been great. IF Mews was a turnover machine a certain game based on how effective the other team is at pressuring him then you can sit that pairing a little more. Right now, you dont’ really have that option. And, if you have Mews with Mayich, you are handcuffed into playing Mews 22+ minutes per game unless you switch the pairings mid-game.

I am looking at it from a goal suppression perspective more than an offence perspective. Smyth and Mews played as a pairing for a while in the first half which at the time I thought was silly but they didn’t play badly. Smyth had a very defined role in that pairing which may have been an advantage for him.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Generally speaking, I think we agree BUT the area where we disagree is born fromthe fact we didn’t’ get the appropriate 6th D-Man to replace Smyth.

The reason why I am advocating for a Marreli-Mayich pairing is because I feel Marrelli is the better D-Man at this point in time than Mews. If that is a top 2 pairing 5 on 5, I feel having the better and more responsible d-Man on the ice for more minutes makes more sense. Placing Marrelli with Smyth makes that a 3rd pairing so we have likely our 3rd best D-Man sitting on the bench too much. Placing Mews with Smyth is more about ensuring Marrelli is on the ice more Since he is more responsible.

This all boils down to them not getting that 6th D-Man on the right side. Had we acquired that guy, placing him with Marrelli would have been great. IF Mews was a turnover machine a certain game based on how effective the other team is at pressuring him then you can sit that pairing a little more. Right now, you dont’ really have that option. And, if you have Mews with Mayich, you are handcuffed into playing Mews 22+ minutes per game unless you switch the pairings mid-game.

I am looking at it from a goal suppression perspective more than an offence perspective. Smyth and Mews played as a pairing for a while in the first half which at the time I thought was silly but they didn’t play badly. Smyth had a very defined role in that pairing which may have been an advantage for him.

I'm not opposed to a Marrelli-Mayich pairing at all. I must have missed that suggestion above. And I agree 100% on the unfilled need for another d-man (preferably a RHS) that could have bumped Smyth down to the #7 spot.

Smyth is currently without a clearly defined role. He's a 6'6" d-man who doesn't play a physical brand of hockey and with that frame the areas where one would think his strengths would lie, he's just not very good at (making opposing forwards pay the price in the corners and in front of the net, winning puck battles, net-front coverage). I think he lacks awareness and anticipation in the d-zone. Opposing forwards can easily get open to grab rebounds or for quick pass and shoots in the slot.

IMO, Cameron needs to make a determination that Smyth is the #6 guy (and for the record I still prefer him over Brady) and pair him up with someone that he's simply OK with giving less ice time to. Maybe that is Mews, from a goal suppression perspective. The problem is, I think, is that Mews is weak in the same areas as Smyth is and even if Smyth is focused solely on the defensive side of the puck, that pairing would still be a liability defensively. BUT, as you said if Cameron is truly committed to having a 3rd pairing get 3rd pairing minutes, it could work out. At the same time though I don't like the idea of losing Mews' offensive upside but recognize there is a trade-off.

Also, Mayich is generally really good at all those things that Smyth isn't good at, but needs balance from someone with more offensive savvy/creativity. Marrelli isn't at Mews' level in that regard but can effectively move the puck. I prefer leaving the Mayer/Sirman pairing as is. So maybe it is as you suggested. But all to say, there is a gap in the defense group precluding us from icing 3rd solid pairings.

 

[OMG67]

I'm not opposed to a Marrelli-Mayich pairing at all. I must have missed that suggestion above. And I agree 100% on the unfilled need for another d-man (preferably a RHS) that could have bumped Smyth down to the #7 spot.

Smyth is currently without a clearly defined role. He's a 6'6" d-man who doesn't play a physical brand of hockey and with that frame the areas where one would think his strengths would lie, he's just not very good at (making opposing forwards pay the price in the corners and in front of the net, winning puck battles, net-front coverage). I think he lacks awareness and anticipation in the d-zone. Opposing forwards can easily get open to grab rebounds or for quick pass and shoots in the slot.

IMO, Cameron needs to make a determination that Smyth is the #6 guy (and for the record I still prefer him over Brady) and pair him up with someone that he's simply OK with giving less ice time to. Maybe that is Mews, from a goal suppression perspective. The problem is, I think, is that Mews is weak in the same areas as Smyth is and even if Smyth is focused solely on the defensive side of the puck, that pairing would still be a liability defensively. BUT, as you said if Cameron is truly committed to having a 3rd pairing get 3rd pairing minutes, it could work out. At the same time though I don't like the idea of losing Mews' offensive upside but recognize there is a trade-off.

Also, Mayich is generally really good at all those things that Smyth isn't good at, but needs balance from someone with more offensive savvy/creativity. Marrelli isn't at Mews' level in that regard but can effectively move the puck. I prefer leaving the Mayer/Sirman pairing as is. So maybe it is as you suggested. But all to say, there is a gap in the defense group precluding us from icing 3rd solid pairings.

I didn’t actually suggest Marrelli and Mayich together specifically. It was more just by default the expectation woudl be that Marrelli plays with Mayich and that pairing would play more minutes. Just more explaining more why the Mews-Smyth pairing is the recommendation.

We need to also remember that Mews gains PP minutes. He would also gain minutes late in games where the 67’s are behind when the pairings would get condensed To focus on offence.

As a 17 year old with some issues more related to decision making rather than a deficiency in capability, he may be better served with less 5 on 5 time against other teams top lines. If he (and Smyth) were lining up against other teams 3rd lines, I think the matchups would be more favourable. Mayich will likely be out there against other teams top lines all night. I’m not sure I think Mews is suited in that role at all. We agree he isn’t a pure fit beside Marrelli. Sirman and Mayer have been good together so no sense breaking them up at this stage. That leaves Smyth.

I’ve found when Smyth has the defined role on not needing to do too much, he is fine. Mews is not a defensive liability in his own end. He makes young mistakes but he has a lot of skill so it is not so much that Smyth needs to cover for him in his own zone. It is more he needs to stay back and be the safety net in the neutral and offensive zones. When he concentrates on doing that, I find he is fine. Down low in his own zone, Mews is relatively ok. Smyth doesn’t need to cover for him in that zone.

Mews up against the oppositions 3rd line is a setup that the 67’s can exploit. If we had Gardiner with Dever and Gerrior as the line match, I think it could be a very successful 5 on 5 grouping.

 

[OMG67]

Dever being out hurt you're team defensively over the last month or so.
He is a very good 200FT player and plays a key part in back checking and retrieving pucks from what i have seen with Ottawa,.
It's common to see teams that struggle to score forget about the defensive side of the puck sometimes. This team has not played to it's identity in most of the games i have watched.

Sometimes we overlook those things. Dever has an issue with finish so I doubt he will ever be a solid offensive contributor but you are 100% correct in his defensive capabilities. If he can develop his ability to feed the puck down low and maybe win a few board battles in the
O-Zone, he could become a decent setup guy. If he can pack on 10lb over the summer, he could be the perfect 3rd line complementary player that contributes effectively in both ends.

 

[dirty12]

I see NB as the clear Favourite in the Eastern Conference right now. Then there is a group of teams from 2-7 where we need another 3-4 weeks to start seeing where the separations will be.

I suspected Brantford to slip a bit. Their stats aren’t reflective of a team that would win the division. They have a +2 goal differential, have eight extra time losses, are under 100% combined Special Teams and they sold a couple key players at the deadline which would suggest they will not get better relative to the other teams. Although they sit atop the division, I don’t see it very likely they will stay there. They have a relatively weak remaining schedule with 15 home games vs 11 away. That will help balance out some of the negatives. So, they do have some things in their favour.

Oshawa is the scarier team. They have a +37 goal differential and a 102% Special Teams. They didn’t do a lot at the deadline but they had Ritchie out much of the year and added maybe the best available D-Man at the deadline in Connor Punnett. No disrespect meant to Donovan but Punnett as an OA may be a A similar player from an impact perspective. They do have more road games than home games so that will hurt them and they have a bit of a tougher schedule than most.

Sudbury didn’t do near enough to address their gaps at the deadline. They overpaid tremendously to add the players they added. That said, they still have a strong group of players that may find a way to make it all work. They are inconsistent and give up way too many goals but they do score a lot of goals too. They will get into some shootouts in the scoreboard and they lack discipline. They are a bit of a wildcard but I place them easily in the 2nd tier of teams.

Kingston is inconsistent and are learning a new system. I liken them to the 67’s post-Covid break. New coach teaching the players a new system takes a solid year to build the culture and get bodies that align with the new program. Collectively, they have a good group of players but I think if there is a separation, it is likely here.

Mississauga is still young and they lack experienced depth on the back end. They take a lo tof penalties which is a sign of youth. They will be a strong team next year and their goaltending should hold them in games this year but I think they are a 3rd tier team this season. They probably sit with Kingston.

Ottawa needs to simply find some chemistry throughout the lineup with the new additions. You can see the much improved puck movement and stronger possessions. MacK seems healthy. They still lack that extra winger and D-Man that will keep them from doing damage in the playoffs but they should emerge as a Division winner. It will be a battle with Oshawa the rest of the way. I’m not liking their chances in the playoffs. I can’t see them progress past the 2nd round to be honest. They needed to bring in five players but they only brought in three. It was enough to be much more competitive in the regular season but not enough to be competitive in the post season. They could get two favourable matchups but they’d need a little luck. Maybe a Missy/Sudbury round 1 and 2 would be ideal for them. I don’t think they would beat Oshawa in round 2. Kingston has given them trouble all year. That may be a tough round one opponent. I don’t think they could beat Brantford in their rink so that series would be very difficult as well.

Anyway, this is how I see the Eastern Conference right now…

1 - North Bay
2/3/4 - Ottawa, Sudbury and Oshawa
5 - Brantford
6/7 - Kingston and Mississauga
8/9/10 - Barrie, Peterborough, and Niagara

I don’t have much to dispute about that post. But a few things about Brantford should be noted; the home record, the record since Hamara was acquired and the record since with Hamara in and out of line-up, and the team might be better overall with Hamara, Sobolev, and Lavoie minus VanVliet and Donovan.

 

[OMG67]

I don’t have much to dispute about that post. But a few things about Brantford should be noted; the home record, the record since Hamara was acquired and the record since with Hamara in and out of line-up, and the team might be better overall with Hamara, Sobolev, and Lavoie minus VanVliet and Donovan.

That is an aspect that I considered for sure. I thought there would be a drop off and I felt their schedule was a little weak over the period of more sustained success. This is why I now am a little more on the fence with them which is why I placed them between the 2nd and 3rd tiers. I don’t think they will be as weak as Kingston and Missy but not quite there with Ott, Sud, and OSH. Although, likely one of those three will drop with Brantford to create its own middle tier. I am jsut not certain which team it will be. Brantford could rise and maintain in that group as well. Who knows.

It will still be close overall. It is not like there will be a 20 point gap between 2nd and 7th. Probably more like 12 points. That really isn’t a huge separation in itself. Harley enough to really say there will be separate tiers but I have a feeling that the gap between 2nd and 4th will be as little as 4 points.