Brandon Maki, special to the Sun
67’s 4, Frontenacs 0
New year, same results for the Ottawa 67’s.
The Barber Poles opened 2023 Sunday afternoon with their third straight victory, as Collin MacKenzie backstopped the team to a 4-0 road win over the Kingston Frontenacs. The 18-year-old netminder earned his first Ontario Hockey League shutout, with Luca Pinelli, Gavin Ewles, Will Gerrior, and Brady Stonehouse supplying the offence.
Ottawa got on the board just 3:25 in, with Pinelli’s 15th of the season. Gerrior skated into the Kingston zone, and while protecting the puck, made a beautiful one-handed feed to Pinelli in front, and the 2023 NHL draft prospect tapped the puck past Ivan Zhigalov for a 1-0 lead.
A little more than 10 minutes later, Pinelli did some dishing of his own, sliding the puck to Ewles on a two-on-one, and the defender made no mistake for his second of the campaign.
With 2:40 to go in the opening period, Gerrior continued his own hot start, intercepting the puck at his own blue line, and powering down the ice past two defenders, firing a quick shot that beat Zhigalov for a highlight-reel marker.
Stonehouse tallied the only goal of the middle frame, just past the midway point. Zhigalov made the initial save on Matthew Mayich, but the puck bounced to Cameron Tolnai, who kicked it to Stonehouse, and Ottawa’s leading scorer banged home his 18th of the season, making it a 4-0 game.
With the Frontenacs pressing in the third, MacKenzie shut the door.
The road swing continues for the 67’s, as they visit the Barrie Colts on Thursday night, at 7:30 p.m.
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