Shootout loss to Petes leaves 67’s in precarious position

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Luca Pinelli has scored 123 goals in his 239 games with the Ottawa 67’s, but likely none any prettier than his first-period marker Saturday against the Peterborough Petes at TD Place.

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Cutting through the slot, Pinelli let the puck slip behind him between his legs, then followed it with his stick before flipping a shot over Petes goalie Zach Bowen to give the home team a 1-0 lead.

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Had it been an NHL game, it very well might be the TSN highlight of the night.

“I don’t know,” the 67’s captain said later when pressed for his opinion on the artistic value of his 32nd goal in 45 games this season. “I thought it was a pretty cool goal, I guess, but we didn’t come out with a win, so …”

No, they didn’t. And for the 67’s, a victory was of utmost importance, especially after they were beaten with six seconds left in regulation time on Thursday night in Peterborough.

At least the second of two 4-3 losses in 48 hours to the last-place Petes gave the 67’s a single point as it came in the shootout following a scoreless five-minute overtime period.

It also amplifies the significance of Sunday afternoon’s game in North Bay.

The 67’s now trail the Battalion by two points in the race for the final playoff spot in the Ontario Hockey League’s Eastern Conference.

Both teams have seven games remaining, and North Bay has a stranglehold on the tie-breaker with 24 wins to Ottawa’s 21.

Each has a difficult schedule down the stretch.

Ottawa has a 3-2 record against the Battalion this season and is 1-1 in games played in North Bay, both of which were decided by a goal.

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“I thought we played well enough to win,” 67’s coach Dave Cameron said after his team outshot the Petes 37-25 in front of 4,481 fans on Saturday. “People are tired of hearing and I’m tired of saying it, but we don’t score easy.”

The happiest player in the building was probably Brady Stonehouse, an overager the 67’s traded to the Petes earlier this season.

His power-play goal with 6:31 left in the third period — a one-timer off the bar and in — sent the game to OT.

It came with an overager the 67’s kept, Will Gerrior, sitting in the penalty box.

Stonehouse celebrated the goal enthusiastically, then appeared to glare at the 67’s bench as he skated to the Petes’.

Earlier in the game, Stonehouse caught 67’s rookie Filip Ekberg with a hit that left the 17-year-old Swede sprawled facedown on the ice for about a minute.

Ekberg, who missed a couple of shifts, but did return to his usual spot as a winger on the top line with Pinelli and Cooper Foster, has been a bright light in this dim 67’s season.

He has 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points in 45 games and has been especially proficient of late, with points (12) in nine of his past 11 games.

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It was also a big day for Ryan White, the son of former NHLer (and Ottawa Senator) Todd White.

The 5-9, 154-pound defenceman was playing his first OHL game with the 67’s, and, while he was used sparingly and didn’t see a shift in the third period, White did not look out of place when he was on the ice.

He had three of the team’s shots on goal and jumped up into the play for a scoring chance on an early shift.

“I didn’t see enough of him,” Cameron said when asked for an assessment on White, a ninth-round draft pick of the 67’s in 2023 who is committed to Providence College next season. “He kind of comes as advertised with his mobility, a first-pass guy.”

Said White: “Obviously, playing your first game in any league is pretty special. It comes with a little bit of nerves, but you’ve just got to channel it and play with confidence and enjoy the moment.”

White will be the lineup again Sunday, at least partly because the 67’s roster continues to be depleted by injuries.

With certain callups maxed out in terms of their eligibility, it appears Ottawa will have 15 skaters (nine forwards, six defenceman) for its biggest game of the season.

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The team as a whole could also have some fatigue issues.

To get to their third game in four days, the 67’s hopped on the bus immediately following the battle with the Petes for a four-hour ride that was expected to get them to North Bay about 11 p.m. Saturday.

With clocks going forward by an hour, they’ll have to rest fast for the 2 p.m. start on Sunday.

The Battalion did not play Saturday.

“It’s game No. 62, right? Nothing changes,” Cameron said. “You know how you’re playing now. In terms of preparation, all they’re doing now is hydrating and getting their energy up. We’re not the only team to do this. It’s just part of the routine.”

The only difference is the stakes.

The 67’s season is on the line now.

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