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Guelph Storm blown away in Game 1 (4 photos)

Ottawa scores four power play goals en route to a 7-2 win in the series opener

OTTAWA - Any way you slice it, 12-0 is a good playoff record — especially if it’s your record, and you’re the Ottawa 67's. If you’re the visiting Guelph Storm, heading into the OHL finals, it can be a bit daunting. But then again, both teams came in with 12 wins. This year’s finals is anybody’s game.

Well, make that 13-0. Despite being badly outshot 39-26, the Ottawa 67's kept their train rolling into the OHL finals with a 7-2 win at home on Thursday night, taking game one of the best-of-seven series.

“There’s not a lot of good to say,” said Storm coach George Burnett, visibly disappointed in the outcome of a game that was far better for his team than the score suggests. “We’ve got to be a lot better, and we will be a lot better for Saturday afternoon, and I can’t find a whole of good to talk about, so I’ll save it.”

Face-off domination by the 67's was a major difference in the game, as was their ability to capitalize on the power play and fend it off when they found themselves down a man, which they did often in this chippy affair.

Having faced 39 shots, 67's coach André Tourigny said goalie Michael DiPietro’s game was “huge, just huge.” Pleased with the win though he was, of the 7-2 scoreline: “that’s not the story of the game.”

No question, both teams are skilled — a fact that, given the freewheeling, back-and-forth play, was obvious from the first drop of the puck. This finals isn’t so much a battle defined by mismatched skill levels as it is a contest between two different types of skill: the skill required to keep a good thing going, and the altogether different skill of creating success out of improbable conditions.

The Storm finds itself in the latter position. Up against an Ottawa squad that has yet to lose — and coming off two series that went the full seven games — they entered the game as underdogs. The 67's, on the other hand, entered the game in the position not unlike a pitcher pitching a perfect game: thus far perfect, but there’s no telling what a playoff loss will do to that momentum. If you’re the Storm, you could head into this series somewhat reassured that perfection carries a burden of pressure.

For the 67's, that pressure is indicative of the “no quit” attitude in the dressing room.

“You don’t just win 13 games by accident,” said centre Sasha Chmelevsky.

Early on, the game seemed wholly Ottawa’s — two goals in the first courtesy of Chmelevski and Tye Felhaber, plus a disallowed goal 52 seconds in from Lucas Chiodo, and it began to look like Ottawa might start running up the score. A big five-on-three kill by the 67's didn’t hurt either.

Down 3-0 just moments into the second period, thanks to a goal by Chiodo (allowed this time, though it was given a brief review) Guelph’s unusual penchant for comebacks began to look like it might kick in. A goal by Isaac Ratcliffe, scored so close on the heels of Ottawa’s third goal that the goal hadn’t even finished being called out over the PA, kick started a second-period push. A power play goal half-way through the second — the result of a rather specious goaltender interference call against the 67’s Kody Clarke, which prompted rink-wide chants of “ref, you suck!” — kept the ball rolling. That comeback spirit seemed like it was making headway.

Another goal that required video review, a rebound whacked home by Marco Rossi, put the game at 4-2 after two periods.

But with 11:46 left in the third, a comeback still on the table, an objectively foul hit landed Fedor Gordeev with a five-minute major and a game misconduct, leaving Guelph on an extended penalty kill. That put it out of reach, as the 67's potted three quick power play goals, one by Chmelevski, the second by Noel Hoefenmayer,, and the third by Felhaber, leaving the game at a decisive 7-2. Only a lazy tripping penalty by Ottawa’s Mitchell Hoelscher stopped the bleeding.

Both teams now find themselves in familiar territory — the 67's ahead, and the Storm coming from behind. “We’ve found a way. I don’t think int would be a great idea to be down three, or spot the other team three in this situation — they’re a very strong, deep team,” said Burnett. “I think the most important thing for us is we get some rest tomorrow, and make sure we’ve got a lot more energy and our compete level is a lot higher on Saturday.”

Game two is in Ottawa on Saturday, 2pm.


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