Cedrick Guindon of the Owen Sound Attack. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images
Hope you didn’t tune out early. Because the Owen Sound Attack cooked up a wild finish.
Colby Barlow finished with five points and set up Cedrick Guindon’s overtime winner as the Owen Sound Attack rallied from 5-1 down early in the third period, finding three late power play goals to stun the Ottawa 67’s 6-5 in Ontario Hockey League action Sunday afternoon.
“It goes to show this group, when they put their minds to it and stick together, they’re capable of beating some really good teams in this league,” says Attack assistant coach Sean Teakle. “Six-point weekend. It’s just massive.”
Barlow scored twice, while Declan Waddick, Deni Goure and Servac Petrovsky also added goals for the Attack (21-19-2-1), which swept a three-game eastern trip to Peterborough, Kingston and Ottawa.
Brad Gardiner had a pair of goals for Ottawa. Luca Pinelli, Will Gerrior and Braeden Kressler also scored. The 67’s (20-18-4) lost their third in a row.
The Attack trailed by three with just over five minutes remaining, and then some penalty trouble for the 67’s opened the door.
Luca Pinelli was called for roughing with 5:05 to go. And on that power play for the Attack, Goure was dropped by a Derek Smyth cross-check in front of the net setting up a 5-on-3 for 1:11.
Owen Sound – which had the OHL’s second best power play coming into the game – took advantage.
Barlow unloaded a one-timer over the glove of Collin MacKenzie with 3:45 to go to cut the 67’s lead to 5-3.
Goure converted another power play goal 40 seconds later to make it a one goal game.
Then Gardiner took a cross-checking penalty with 2:10 remaining to send the Attack back to the power play.
Owen Sound interim coach Darren Rumble called a timeout, pulled his goalie and sent his team out 6-on-4 to search for a game-tying goal.
They got it. Guindon sent a shot to the net, and Petrovsky picked up a rebound in front and put it low past MacKenzie to tie the game 5-5.
Ottawa almost retook the lead in the final minute. Jack Dever was sent in on a semi-breakaway – he had a step, but was closely pursued by a defender – and got a shot away blocker side that Corbin Votary got enough of to keep out.
Off to overtime… and more drama.
The Attack had the first major scoring chance, a two-on-none for Barlow and Guindon. Barlow on the right wing, gave it to Guindon, who almost immediately returned the pass right near the crease and the Attack captain snapped it quickly.
MacKenzie made a highlight reel stop, lunging to his left to deny Barlow and keep the game alive. Then the play went 2-on-1 the other way, but Sam Sedley broke it up and sent the puck up ice for Barlow and Guindon to have another try, this time 2-on-1.
Barlow skated in and feathered a pass to Guindon on the left side. He then cut in and across the net, pulling the puck forehand to backhand and lifting it past MacKenzie.
It was Owen Sound’s fifth unanswered goal, capping a wild afternoon in Ottawa. On top of all that – Guindon was one of five Ottawa-area players dressed for the Attack, and delivered the magic moment in front of more than 100 of his friends and family members who were inside TD Place Arena for the game.
The 67’s led 2-0 after the first, and 4-1 after the second.
Votary made 33 saves in the win, while MacKenzie stopped 33 taking the loss. The Attack outshot the 67’s 39-38 while going 3 for 5 on the power play; Ottawa finished 0 for 3.
The Attack will close out a stretch of five straight road games Thursday against the Barrie Colts (16-22-1).
ASSISTS RECORD, TIED
Sam Sedley had an assist on Guindon’s game-winning goal, and that moved him into a tie with Santino Centorame for most assists in Owen Sound franchise history by a defenceman. Sedley now has 130 career assists, the same number Centorame finished his OHL career with.
GEORGE OFF
Owen Sound Attack goaltender Carter George left the team following Sunday’s game in Ottawa. He’s heading to Moncton, N.B., for the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on Wednesday. Rumble says Votary will start Thursday in Barrie for the Attack, and the team is expected to have another goaltender added to the roster to serve as his backup, as George makes his way back from the east coast.
HISTORIC NUMBERS BE DARNED
From the Attack/Platers encyclopedia Fred Wallace, Owen Sound was 1-15-1 all-time in Sunday afternoon games at TD Place Arena (formerly Ottawa Civic Centre) and hadn’t won in that building, in that time slot since 1992. You can add another to the win column, with a capital W for the way it was delivered.