Ottawa 67's 2019-20 Season Thread (Part 3)

[mianjo]

2-0 en

after Sudbury were called delay of game penalty and then the ref said change my mind no pen

 

[OMG67]

I wonder if there is any second guessing going on in the management office while wishing they had a time machine and go back to the trade deadline....

Although we do return 6 D-Men next year, assuming Rippon is an OA, we are seeing how green these rookies actually are. They have loads of potential but if we are going to reply on the six proposed returnees, we will be in trouble next year on the back end. It should be a rebuild year while giving those guys a year to gain the experience they need.

 

[analyser]

I said they did not do enough at trade deadline and now it is really showing. A solid older defenseman and another point producing forward would of made a big difference.

They are terrible right now and anyone can beat them. Very volatile should any regulars go down for any period of time.

 

[sirius67fan]

Not to make excuses but they seem gassed right now, a lot of 3 game weekends and its taking a toll as we have a lot of young players not used to this. Our top two lines are playing too much and its showing right now. Good news is the schedule will slow down after next week and they need to recharge before the playoffs and get healthy. We'll be fine.

 

[sirius67fan]

I said they did not do enough at trade deadline and now it is really showing. A solid older defenseman and another point producing forward would of made a big difference.

They are terrible right now and anyone can beat them. Very volatile should any regulars go down for any period of time.

i think we mostly agree a bit more could have been done at the deadline but it is what it is. We'll see if management was right when everybody is back as I think they figured Clarke can be that goal scorer. You are right though we need to stay away from injuries to our key guys.

 

[sirius67fan]

I wonder if there is any second guessing going on in the management office while wishing they had a time machine and go back to the trade deadline....

Although we do return 6 D-Men next year, assuming Rippon is an OA, we are seeing how green these rookies actually are. They have loads of potential but if we are going to reply on the six proposed returnees, we will be in trouble next year on the back end. It should be a rebuild year while giving those guys a year to gain the experience they need.

don't forget OMG all those D will be one year older/stronger with a lot of experience gained. We'll be OK but there is no doubt in my mind next year is a reloading year anyways.

 

[analyser]

Not to make excuses but they seem gassed right now, a lot of 3 game weekends and its taking a toll as we have a lot of young players not used to this. Our top two lines are playing too much and its showing right now. Good news is the schedule will slow down after next week and they need to recharge before the playoffs and get healthy. We'll be fine.

Well at least your optimism is at a high level.

 

[sirius67fan]

Was disappointed with coaching today, things were not clicking at all but Tourigny did nothing. Agree with OMG might be time to mix things up a bit.

 

[67hockeyfan]

On a positive note, Andree seems to have found his groove again. He looked sharp and made some timely saves.

 

[sirius67fan]

Well at least your optimism is at a high level.

Yes fair statement I tend to be optimistic. We are 42-10 or something with 8 point lead in league. So I don't think my optimism is misplaced once we get our players back and a bit of rest. We shall see. I see this rough patch as a positive.

 

[OHLoutsider2020]

I wonder if there is any second guessing going on in the management office while wishing they had a time machine and go back to the trade deadline....

Although we do return 6 D-Men next year, assuming Rippon is an OA, we are seeing how green these rookies actually are. They have loads of potential but if we are going to reply on the six proposed returnees, we will be in trouble next year on the back end. It should be a rebuild year while giving those guys a year to gain the experience they need.

You lost 2-0 and you question the rookies on defence?

 

[67hockeyfan]

You lost 2-0 and you question the rookies on defence?

Good point. Defence/goaltending wasn’t the issue today - offence was.

 

[dirty12]

That looked like a group of forwards finishing up one of, if not the league’s most gruelling road trip. Varga showed up.
Does Tourigny ever juggle lines? Gareffa & Keating made the wolves mostly porous D look like a wall with no way through or around.

 

[OMG67]

You lost 2-0 and you question the rookies on defence?

When you look at the weekend in general because we are seeing Sawyer and Gill out there in addition to Costantini and Matier. Those are the four rookies. They all had serious minutes and the team was flat all weekend.

The point is it doesn’t matter if Hoelscher and Rossi return. The back end returning isn’t strong enough to drive the engine of the team next year.

This is probably a better discussion for the offseason; however, it is a discussion point.

I do like each of the five guys individually (adding Belanger to that mix of rookies), but for those that think we would be contenders again next year if Rossi and Hoelscher return, think again. This weekend was a prime example of how difficult it is to win in this league with young D-Men.

So, if we really aren’t contenders next year, why not bulk up a little more at the deadline to add some depth? I know a lot of people are suggesting that the team will be different once fully healthy but when is a team actually fully healthy? Not often. You have to expect to play short handed a lot. This team short handed is nowhere near the formidable team they are when they are fully iced.

 

[cub]

That looked like a group of forwards finishing up one of, if not the league’s most gruelling road trip. Varga showed up.
Does Tourigny ever juggle lines? Gareffa & Keating made the wolves mostly porous D look like a wall with no way through or around.

apparently this guy is a Wolve fan. I thought your goalie played a heck of a game, stopped some great chances, Wolves got you at end of road trip, with players missing. Ottawa had many PP but got shut down from a good PK today. Low scoring game but it was entertaining game.

 

[sirius67fan]

When you look at the weekend in general because we are seeing Sawyer and Gill out there in addition to Costantini and Matier. Those are the four rookies. They all had serious minutes and the team was flat all weekend.

The point is it doesn’t matter if Hoelscher and Rossi return. The back end returning isn’t strong enough to drive the engine of the team next year.

This is probably a better discussion for the offseason; however, it is a discussion point.

I do like each of the five guys individually (adding Belanger to that mix of rookies), but for those that think we would be contenders again next year if Rossi and Hoelscher return, think again. This weekend was a prime example of how difficult it is to win in this league with young D-Men.

So, if we really aren’t contenders next year, why not bulk up a little more at the deadline to add some depth? I know a lot of people are suggesting that the team will be different once fully healthy but when is a team actually fully healthy? Not often. You have to expect to play short handed a lot. This team short handed is nowhere near the formidable team they are when they are fully iced.

Yes that's my problem with the deadline as fully healthy I think we're OK, but they basically did not provide for a margin of error. As you say when is a team fully healthy?

 

[OMG67]

Yes that's my problem with the deadline as fully healthy I think we're OK, but they basically did not provide for a margin of error. As you say when is a team fully healthy?

You know what my opinion was at that time. Add a 3rd line centre (Moncada) and either an all around winger (Whittaker) or a banger that makes teams frustrated in a seven game series (Mutter). Guys that can drill up and down the roster.

All they added was Groulx. If we are being serious, he cannot drill up the lineup. HE is marginally better than Yule. He has a bigger motor but isn’t really all that effective outside the 4th line.

 

[ecraigs]

Thought the team has been flat and uninspired for a few weeks now. Tourigny started to show some emotion after that ridiculous decision to disallow a goal. But, one goal should not have been the difference. Still far too many periphery plays. Okhotyuk hit just about every opposition player short of firing at their bench. I have been impressed with Tolnai as well, but is that just that the rest of the team is so flat? He is moving his feet and making plays, rather than just unloading the puck. Andree was very good today. The rest? Meh. Get away from that 5 forward PP (yes, I know Hoefenmayer id hurt, but even so). Move Garreffa back to the right side. All too predictable.

 

[beastintheeast]

The hardest road trip in the OHL for Ottawa has always been the Northern Swing.

Did the team play poorly yeah? Did they miss Hoef DEFINITELY? .

These guys have been unbeatable through most of the year. This road trip is exactly what they needed.

They now know that they are not superhuman that they can be beaten and that they can not rely on blowing the other team away in the 3rd period.

I actually think that this is a good thing for this team to get treated like this.

The rookies are the rookies there is nothing that you can do.

Would trades have helped Maybe
Wed now get to see what kind of coach Tourigny is and what kind of leadership this team has in the dressing room.

 

[OMG67]

I’m sorry everyone but this is complete bullshit. Losing is not a GOOD thing. Going on a Northern Road-trip, losing to the worst team in the CHL 6-2 is not a good thing. It is not a wakeup call.

As the London Knights in 2005 when they had 120 points if it would have been better for them to maybe only have had 105 points. Maybe they’d have won the OHL Championship and Memorial Cup? Oh, that’s right. They won both. I guess losing isn’t as good of a thing as some of you think.

If a team keeps winning, they aren’t losing. It means they are winning.

We won 14 in a row last year in the playoffs. Maybe if they went 14-6 going into Game 3 of the OHL Final they would have won the Championship? Think again.

This team has been just about AVERAGE for a Contending team since just after the deadline. They’ve been strong compared to an average team but definitely not world beaters. I will be shocked if they are still in the top 3 ranking for the CHL. SHOCKED.

Early in the year they won a tonne of one goal games and have feasted on OT and the Shootout. For the better part of the last 6 weeks they managed to compile points but they have been far from impressive most nights in doing so. Those “not so impressive” wins are now not so impressive losses. That is what happens to teams in that situation. The scales start to balance.

I’ve said it many times. Last year’s team was superior to this team. We benefitted this year from what would surely be considered a weak year in the upper tier of the OHL. We had an opportunity to add a couple pieces to stretch the depth of the roster but we didn’t.

It will be interesting to see how we finish the year. I’ll be completely honest. I think we will be up against it to finish with the most points. we are in the drivers seat but I think it is going to be much closer than we expected it to be.

Wake up call? I think they’ve had 6 weeks of continuous wakeup calls. Why is this weekend any different?

 

[dirty12]

I watched the ‘67s ((live)) for the first time this season yesterday; maybe their forwards worst game, Idk. But, I believe OMG was right in what he was saying should be added all along. Was the reason forwards willing to battle were not added because Boyd wanted to ensure TOI for the kids or Tourigny would just not play them? There was no good reason for Gareffa, Hoelscher, Keating to not just sit together on the bench resting for a PP or 4 on 4 opportunity. They really had nothing to offer.
Heck, Flint added Yule to be the 13th F; and with a key injury over the past 3 weeks, he has helped make the 4th line a factor and kill off some penalties too.

 

[sirius67fan]

I’m sorry everyone but this is complete bullshit. Losing is not a GOOD thing. Going on a Northern Road-trip, losing to the worst team in the CHL 6-2 is not a good thing. It is not a wakeup call.

As the London Knights in 2005 when they had 120 points if it would have been better for them to maybe only have had 105 points. Maybe they’d have won the OHL Championship and Memorial Cup? Oh, that’s right. They won both. I guess losing isn’t as good of a thing as some of you think.

If a team keeps winning, they aren’t losing. It means they are winning.

We won 14 in a row last year in the playoffs. Maybe if they went 14-6 going into Game 3 of the OHL Final they would have won the Championship? Think again.

This team has been just about AVERAGE for a Contending team since just after the deadline. They’ve been strong compared to an average team but definitely not world beaters. I will be shocked if they are still in the top 3 ranking for the CHL. SHOCKED.

Early in the year they won a tonne of one goal games and have feasted on OT and the Shootout. For the better part of the last 6 weeks they managed to compile points but they have been far from impressive most nights in doing so. Those “not so impressive” wins are now not so impressive losses. That is what happens to teams in that situation. The scales start to balance.

I’ve said it many times. Last year’s team was superior to this team. We benefitted this year from what would surely be considered a weak year in the upper tier of the OHL. We had an opportunity to add a couple pieces to stretch the depth of the roster but we didn’t.

It will be interesting to see how we finish the year. I’ll be completely honest. I think we will be up against it to finish with the most points. we are in the drivers seat but I think it is going to be much closer than we expected it to be.

Wake up call? I think they’ve had 6 weeks of continuous wakeup calls. Why is this weekend any different?

Yes and no OMG. I understand your point and Nobody is saying losing is a good thing. However a little adversity is good and I rather they face some now rather than the conference final or final. I do think it was a factor last year where they were not pushed all year or in the playoffs. Then when there was pushback in the finals they didn't seem to know how to respond. ( yes Guelph was a very good team and I still think losing MDP changed the dynamic of that series). Just my opinion but I do think this little dry spell is a good thing.

 

[sirius67fan]

If this weekend did show something its how important Hoef is to the pp and to drive the transition game. One of the reasons our forwards were not as effective is you didn't have Hoef pushing the puck up and giving it to our forwards with speed. Rippon was also missed as he's quite good at delivering that first pass.

 

[analyser]

OMG I agree totally with your current breakdown of this team. I have mentioned many times that this team is not so elite and it was going to start to show. When I would mention any negative observations people would get all upset.

This team is not near as good as last year's squad and 1 main reason is lack of depth and scoring distribution. Currently we have 5 real scoring forwards and Clarke coming back. Last season we had 3 lines contributing and personally I think MD was a major part of their playoff success.

This year's big acquisition Daylon Groulx has had no impact and only keeps padding his PIMs. As far as I am concerned we might as well have kept the 3 draft picks we dished out for him.

 

[OMG67]

If this weekend did show something its how important Hoef is to the pp and to drive the transition game. One of the reasons our forwards were not as effective is you didn't have Hoef pushing the puck up and giving it to our forwards with speed. Rippon was also missed as he's quite good at delivering that first pass.

I understand where you are coming from but Hoef isn't an "outlet pass" sorta D-Man. He is significant once the o-zone has been gained. Once the zone has been gained, he has a strong ability of moving along the blueline and is good along the boards keeping pucks in and THEN distributing inside the zone.

He isn't great at moving the puck up ice. He's OK at that at the OHL level but there are dozens of D-Men in the OHL better at distributing the puck from the defensive zone.

This isn't a knock on Hoef overall. It is to say he is maybe the best D-Man in the O-Zone with the puck in the entire CHL. Outside of that, he struggles.