TD Place – Ottawa, ONT
Fresh off a 4-2 win over the Peterborough Petes on Thursday, the Ottawa 67’s shifted their focus to the Niagara IceDogs.
The IceDogs came into TD Place licking their wounds after a 10-0 drubbing at the hands of the Kingston Frontenacs on Friday night.
The 67’s are in search of their second-straight win. An IceDogs loss would mark their third in a row.
Ottawa had a strong start to the game, but penalties took the wind out of their sails early.
With just over half of the period remaining, 67’s captain Luca Pinelli took an ill-advised cross-checking penalty 195 feet away from his net.
To rub a little salt in the wound, 2024 draft prospect Frankie Marrelli put his troops down by two men for 53 seconds. Dave Cameron’s squad put their penalty killers to work early.
Körbler Made His Presence Known Against Niagara
Kimi Körbler deflected a Samuel Mayer point shot past Charlie Robertson at the 2:57 mark of the opening frame. Henry Mews drew the secondary assist on the play.
“First goal, first shift I think. So, good stuff for us,” said Körbler, about scoring before the game was five minutes old.
The tally was Körbler’s first goal at five-on-five, as his first OHL goal came via penalty shot.
At five-on-five, the Barber Poles controlled most of the play, which had them in the driver’s seat. But undisciplined play, even against a struggling power play, was likened to playing with fire. Offensively, Ottawa played well, but they will need to stay out of the box if they wish to push Niagara back on their heels.
Kevin He had a shorthanded opportunity, however, Ian Michelone stood tall. Remember that save because it was an important one for Ottawa, much to the chagrin of the TD Place faithful.
Korbler regained the two-goal lead for the 67’s off a great feed from Brad Gardiner, who flew into the zone and fed him a nice pass. His tally, an insurance goal, felt like the hockey rewarding him for his hard-fought game.
“Just head down and I got lucky, yeah,” said Körbler on what he saw on his second goal, the 67’s sixth of the game.
It was a team effort, but any time you score two goals, it’s hard to argue that you didn’t impact the game. Körbler played hard on the backcheck and was relentless on the forecheck. The game’s first star had a statement, and he is looking like a gem for the 67’s.
67’s Success With European Import Player’s Continues
Over the last handful of years, the 67’s have brought in some impactful European players through the CHL Import Draft.
Marco Rossi was a revelation for the club, during his time in the OHL. The Minnesota Wild’s 2020 first-round selection electrified the TD place crowd with his skill and intelligence. A native of Feldkirch, Austria, Rossi played for two seasons with the 67’s.
After him, Vinzenz Rohrer came over and showed his high potential. Offensively, his game isn’t quite on par with Rossi’s, but they are very different players. Rohrer, now in Switzerland, has all the tools to play in an NHL top nine for a long time.
I’m not suggesting that Korbler is on the same level as Rossi or Rohrer, but he continues to prove the 67’s right from a scouting perspective.