The Ottawa 67’s are moving on up.
Filip Ekberg scored with 30.5 seconds left in regulation time to snap a tie and give Ottawa a 3-2 victory over the Kingston Frontenacs on Thursday night at the Slush Puppie Centre, giving the 67’s a sweep of the first-round, best-of-seven Ontario Hockey League playoff series and moving them along the post-season ladder.
The winning goal was a beauty.
Ekberg took a pass from Cooper Foster, who was located on the left-wing boards, and from the faceoff dot drove to the net, pulling the puck to his backhand and then his forehand for a wide-open shot.
“We’ve got a special group in there,” 67’s overager Nic Sima said during a post-game interview on Rogers cable. “We were happy to get that late one and get that win.”
Smelling blood, the 67’s bolted from the gate.
Sam McCue scored his second goal of the playoffs just 41 seconds into the first period, and Sima added his third in four games at the 2:40 mark, putting Ottawa in full control.
But, fighting for their lives, the Frontenacs rebounded.
Matthew Frost notched his first goal of the postseason just past the midway mark of the opening period, and Robin Kuzma scored his first 67 seconds into the second.
Things could have been worse for Ottawa.
Bruising defenceman David Bedkowski received a game misconduct when he delivered a headshot to Kingston’s Kieren Dervin early in the middle frame, but the 67’s penalty-killing units again rose to the occasion during the five-minute disadvantage.
The shot clock indicated how close the play was at that point, with the home team ahead 17-16 at the second intermission.
Improving his playoff record to 4-0, Ottawa rookie goalie Ryan Fetterolf stopped 20 Kingston shots. The Frontenacs’ duo of Gavin Betts and Matthew Minchak faced 24 shots.
The 67’s will now have some time off to wait for their second-round opponent to be determined.
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