Ottawa 67s 2024-25 Season Thread, Part I

[OMG67]

I wonder if DC is going to juggle the lines a bit in the 3rd? He seems to have balanced the lines and they cannot get anything going. I think they need to put together a true top 6 if they want to get more quality scoring opportunities.

 

[mianjo]

67's lose 3-2 but had 50 shots on net

 

[OMG67]

Gonna be a long season. They managed to get a lot of opportunities but they made Flores look really good. Far too many poor quality shots. Virtually nothing finding the corners. Too many to the middle of the net. That shows the lack of quality scorers on this team.

DC sat Hilton and Yanni in the 3rd period and rolled Whitehead through the lineup. Hilton took a really costly stupid penalty. Dever, Barlas, and Hilton all taking needless penalties either away from the play or after the whistle. As Cherry would say, “Dumb-Dumb penalties.”

Mack was fine. He did have full view of the 2nd goal but it was a nice shot by Levin to the far top corner, something Ottawa didn’t do at all tonight.

Eshkawkogan looked pretty solid. Barlas was fine from the wing. I like that kid from the wing. Horner needs to get back up front where he is far more effective.

Foster wasn’t’ bad as a centre tonight but he is personally more effective off the wing. But, it looks like there is not much of a choice.

 

[gadder]

Well a spirited 3-2 loss to Niagara. Notes:
- Boy, can Pinelli snipe that puck! I think he's gotten better.
- Mews skated well but he's way too soft in the defensive zone. And the head-punching penalty he took was selfish and dumb
- Ekberg did look a bit lost. Today he was the 4th line centre behind Foster, Dever, Whitehead.
- Middle of the 2nd we were 20-42 faceoffs win/loss. It's going to be a long year if we don't get that competent cheap centre.

 

[beastintheeast]

Well a spirited 3-2 loss to Niagara. Notes:
- Boy, can Pinelli snipe that puck! I think he's gotten better.
- Mews skated well but he's way too soft in the defensive zone. And the head-punching penalty he took was selfish and dumb
- Ekberg did look a bit lost. Today he was the 4th line centre behind Foster, Dever, Whitehead.
- Middle of the 2nd we were 20-42 faceoffs win/loss. It's going to be a long year if we don't get that competent cheap centre.

OK so my prediction that Niagara was not going to be the team to walk over is at least correct so far YEAH ME!!!!!!

OMG67 mentioned we have lots of draft picks next year. If that is the case we need to find a coach that likes young players.

We have many moving pieces. The big thing is to give the players a chance to play and get to know each other as linemates.

I am happy that Whitehead got minutes and seems to be one of the better faceoff men on the team.

To my simple mind, the centers on this team should be

Ekberg (if he is a center)
Dever
Whitehead
Barlas ( I want to keep Foster as a winger)

Hilton and Houben should do skating drills before and/or after practice, either with a skating coach or doing side-to-side and goal-to-goal skating.

Horner I agree it is hard to take a player that you molded into a winger then move him to the defence

ESH The season is early and it will be interesting to see how he handles himself when the big guys start punding him in the corner

 

[NoQuit67s]

Was very impressed with Eshkawkogan. He is smooth, poised and smart.

 

[ecraigs]

Gonna be a long season.

That was my comment to my wife. To be anywhere near a playoff spot, this team needs to find another 230 goals this year. That is going to be a tall order.

Eshkawkogan looked very confident for a 15 yo and very comfortable gathering in passes that ended up in his skates. He will need that skill.

Niagara went 3 for 4 on the PP, Ottawa was 0 for 5 and that was the game. Just too predictable and lots of missed shots. It looked the same as last year, with different names on the jerseys.

Was Amidovski hurt or a healthy scratch? Sitting out your first draft pick in the home opener would be a terrible idea.

 

[Vector Calculus]

- Ekberg did look a bit lost. Today he was the 4th line centre behind Foster, Dever, Whitehead.

This was a surprise for me tonight. I thought Ekberg looked far better in the preseason than he did tonight.

Agree with others that the dumb penalties killed us. We didn’t have any finish tonight on our opportunities (despite a pretty solid effort otherwise) and giving the opposition free powerplays on nothing plays was deadly.

 

[OMG67]

That was my comment to my wife. To be anywhere near a playoff spot, this team needs to find another 230 goals this year. That is going to be a tall order.

It starts downt he middle where we seem most weak.

Eshkawkogan looked very confident for a 15 yo and very comfortable gathering in passes that ended up in his skates. He will need that skill.

LOL. Very clever!

Niagara went 3 for 4 on the PP, Ottawa was 0 for 5 and that was the game. Just too predictable and lots of missed shots. It looked the same as last year, with different names on the jerseys.

Again, we made Flores look good. Too many shots dead centre of the net.

Was Amidovski hurt or a healthy scratch? Sitting out your first draft pick in the home opener would be a terrible idea.

I have a feeling that the early going will see Houben Hilton, and Amidovski all rotate into two LW positions. We play Oshawa on Sunday and that is Hilton’s home town. I assume he will play that game so I predict Houben will be the odd man out and Amidovski will play.


The ‘06 forwards are pretty weak. All of Kelly, Hilton, and Korbler will struggle to combine for 30 goals. The ‘07s will likely outscore the ‘06’s but likely not by much. That doesn’t bode well for next year when your 19 year old forwards are so non-descript.

I know it is only one game in but a lot of what was highlighted in the offseason came to fruition tonight in a home game against a team that you are literally battling against for a playoff spot this season.

 

[beastintheeast]

It starts downt he middle where we seem most weak.

LOL. Very clever!

Again, we made Flores look good. Too many shots dead centre of the net.


I have a feeling that the early going will see Houben Hilton, and Amidovski all rotate into two LW positions. We play Oshawa on Sunday and that is Hilton’s home town. I assume he will play that game so I predict Houben will be the odd man out and Amidovski will play.


The ‘06 forwards are pretty weak. All of Kelly, Hilton, and Korbler will struggle to combine for 30 goals. The ‘07s will likely outscore the ‘06’s but likely not by much. That doesn’t bode well for next year when your 19 year old forwards are so non-descript.

I know it is only one game in but a lot of what was highlighted in the offseason came to fruition tonight in a home game against a team that you are literally battling against for a playoff spot this season.

Down the center is going to be an issue, but I also think the rest of the team is an issue, and as I have said, it is the coaches' fault.

Playing Ekberg on the 4th line is an insult to him. It either says he is not ready for the OHL and not as good as the draft people say he is, or as we know with DC, he has no idea what to do with rookies.

My prediction is that Amidovski is lucky to see 5 minutes a game.

We knew last year that this team was going to be offensively challenged. Just look at the senior players we have coming back. There is only 1 goal scorer, and they keep messing with Foster, trying to make him a center one week and a winger the next.

I predicted during the break that Niagara would not be the pushover they were last year.

Ottawa has to look at things realistically in that this is a 7-9 team. It has no scoring and has no heart. They need to take the young guns Ekberg, Hilton, Houben, Whitehead Yanni and Amidovski and play them and create 2 lines with them.

If DC stays in DC mode then you can forget about competitive hockey in Ottawa for a long time. You will not develop your 2006 and 2007 players by 4th line and sitting in the stands.

That is one reason I think Gerrior should be traded or released: to open a spot for these guys to play and develop.

My line up and I know it is not going to be popular.

Pinellli Ekberg Korbler
Yanni Dever Foster
Hilton Whitehead Horner
Amidovski Barlas Kelly

HOUBEN

Wave Gerrior, you could also let Barlas play enough games to guarantee this year of scholastic and waive/trade him.

At the deadline or whenever you get a good offer trade Pinelli and move everyone up one space.

Boyd neglected to make the trades that were needed and see where this team was going last year and pushed a square peg at the round hole by making trades to add OA and keep players that have value to start the build last year. Now we pay.

 

[OMG67]

Down the center is going to be an issue, but I also think the rest of the team is an issue, and as I have said, it is the coaches' fault.

The coaches don’t draft/trade players.

Playing Ekberg on the 4th line is an insult to him. It either says he is not ready for the OHL and not as good as the draft people say he is, or as we know with DC, he has no idea what to do with rookies.

Technically, Whitehead would be considered the 4th line centre, especially when it was Whitehead that was pulled from his line with the two wingers sitting in the 3rd period.

My prediction is that Amidovski is lucky to see 5 minutes a game.

We’ll see.

We knew last year that this team was going to be offensively challenged. Just look at the senior players we have coming back. There is only 1 goal scorer, and they keep messing with Foster, trying to make him a center one week and a winger the next.

More an unfortunate circumstance. Gardiner requesting out is an issue but the question becomes whether they flip those picks from the Gardiner deal for a replacement 19 year old. Clearly that is not what you’d prefer so they need to make adjustments in the early stages of the season to find the right combination.

I predicted during the break that Niagara would not be the pushover they were last year.

They gave up 50 shots to a team that will struggle to make the playoffs. I wouldn’t call this game a trophy measuring stick.

Ottawa has to look at things realistically in that this is a 7-9 team. It has no scoring and has no heart. They need to take the young guns Ekberg, Hilton, Houben, Whitehead Yanni and Amidovski and play them and create 2 lines with them.

They did use 5 of those players on two lines. So, they are already pretty close!

If DC stays in DC mode then you can forget about competitive hockey in Ottawa for a long time. You will not develop your 2006 and 2007 players by 4th line and sitting in the stands.

The first two ‘06s were D-Men so that is a drafting issue. The ‘07s may have some difficulties but their 1st rounder defected. They may not end up with an elite player from that draft but they do have five players playing right now. That’s not bad considering they didn’t have a 1st.

That is one reason I think Gerrior should be traded or released: to open a spot for these guys to play and develop.

You continually fail to understand that when you put players out there to chase a puck all game, you end up with the first four seasons of the Mississauga Ice Dogs with Don Cherry bragging about having 23 returning players for year two of the franchise. They went from 16 points in year one to 21 points in year two. Playing young players just because they are young and expecting them to develop without the proper situations and/or players to play with is asinine.

My line up and I know it is not going to be popular.

Pinellli Ekberg Korbler
Yanni Dever Foster
Hilton Whitehead Horner
Amidovski Barlas Kelly

HOUBEN

Wave Gerrior, you could also let Barlas play enough games to guarantee this year of scholastic and waive/trade him.

At the deadline or whenever you get a good offer trade Pinelli and move everyone up one space.

It is far better to carry the extra players in the first half so you have more options. See what you have. At the deadline, you trade Pinelli and a spot opens. Maybe you trade Foster as well provided the return is adequate. You organically open those spots at the deadline as opposed to opening the spots now and handcuff yourself at the deadline not having enough bodies to finish the season.


I have no idea why you are in such a rush to purge the lineup and put players in awkward situations.

Boyd neglected to make the trades that were needed and see where this team was going last year and pushed a square peg at the round hole by making trades to add OA and keep players that have value to start the build last year. Now we pay.

In that, we agree. I would stretch back to the 2022-23 season though. He created a log jam trying to hoard players for no reason. Refusing to move bodies at the deadline and burning picks in an effort to roll over too many skaters into the following season handcuffing the coaches ability to properly run out the younger guys in 4th line roles was stupid. Entering the season with 10 D-Men is just dumb.

 

[beastintheeast]

The coaches don’t draft/trade players.
Maybe not the acquiring, although I am sure that when they are drafting, he has some input. Compare the input that Tourigny had to that of DC and teh ability to find what he needed out of the players.


Technically, Whitehead would be considered the 4th line centre, especially when it was Whitehead that was pulled from his line with the two wingers sitting in the 3rd period.

We’ll see.

He still seems to be as effectiveon face off as the other centers he is going to need time considering that the coach did not give him much time last year.But I agree Time will tell if he was a good draft pick or not

More an unfortunate circumstance. Gardiner requesting out is an issue but the question becomes whether they flip those picks from the Gardiner deal for a replacement 19 year old. Clearly that is not what you’d prefer so they need to make adjustments in the early stages of the season to find the right combination.

Again, I think this is a Boyd issue, possibly development, but definitely, Boyd is not trading or drafting the players needed.

They gave up 50 shots to a team that will struggle to make the playoffs. I wouldn’t call this game a trophy measuring stick.

No, but last year, as bad as we are, we could beat them. I think that we will be fighting Niagara for a playoff spot in March

They did use 5 of those players on two lines. So, they are already pretty close!

Granted hope they continue to do so and not sit and bench them

The first two ‘06s were D-Men so that is a drafting issue. The ‘07s may have some difficulties but their 1st rounder defected. They may not end up with an elite player from that draft but they do have five players playing right now. That’s not bad considering they didn’t have a 1st.

The problem I see here again is a GM issue that there is not the ability to play them and a coaching issue with DC not developing them.

You continually fail to understand that when you put players out there to chase a puck all game, you end up with the first four seasons of the Mississauga Ice Dogs with Don Cherry bragging about having 23 returning players for year two of the franchise. They went from 16 points in year one to 21 points in year two. Playing young players just because they are young and expecting them to develop without the proper situations and/or players to play with is asinine.

I don't think you put them out there to chase a puck. Hopefully, the coach has developed into them the systems that he wants and what he wants them to do on a shift. Consider that Amidovski is the only rookie player not having experience with the team last year.

It is far better to carry the extra players in the first half so you have more options. See what you have. At the deadline, you trade Pinelli and a spot opens. Maybe you trade Foster as well provided the return is adequate. You organically open those spots at the deadline as opposed to opening the spots now and handcuff yourself at the deadline not having enough bodies to finish the season.

I have no idea why you are in such a rush to purge the lineup and put players in awkward situations.

I agree with you that trading Pinelli and Foster now would not be smart. At the deadline, they should be avail if the offer is right, as we will not see Pinelli next year. Foster is an unknown as I am not sure Dumb Ass will want him as he is not an SSM graduating player.

If we can get rid of Barlas or Gerrior it would be a benefit. Sooner the better

In that, we agree. I would stretch back to the 2022-23 season though. He created a log jam trying to hoard players for no reason. Refusing to move bodies at the deadline and burning picks in an effort to roll over too many skaters into the following season handcuffing the coaches ability to properly run out the younger guys in 4th line roles was stupid. Entering the season with 10 D-Men is just dumb.