The Ottawa 67’s entered the OHL playoffs last week after an impressive regular season, and although the team finished with a 50-20-5 record, fans and players agree that a Memorial Cup run will still take a lot of work.
Sean Monahan, a 67's player, says the idea of winning the cup is still far away, but that it definitely could happen. “I think we need to come into every game being as intense as we can, and things will go well from there,” he says. “It’s going well this season. Everyone’s getting along, and winning is a part of that.”
The team concluded its season March 18 with a 4-3 loss to the Brampton Battalion, finishing in second place in the league’s eastern conference, nine points behind the first-place Niagara IceDogs.
Longtime 67’s fan Eric Raymond says he was pleasantly surprised at how his team played this season, but agrees with Monahan. “I would personally love for them to make it to the Memorial Cup, but they’ll definitely need to play better against Niagara,” says Raymond. “I knew heading into the season that a lot of our veteran players, like (Tyler) Toffoli, and (Shane) Prince, had a lot to prove.”
Right winger Toffoli finished the season with 52 goals with 102 points, placing him second in the league for points. Behind him is Price, an Ottawa Senators prospect, with a total of 43 goals and 90 points.
Raymond also says the team’s second-place spot is in large part due to goaltender Petr Mrazek’s big saves this season.
“After his performance in the World Junior Hockey Championships, I know in my heart that Mrazek can shut anyone down,” says Raymond.
Season ticket holder Lee Richer has been following the 67’s since the team’s third-place Memorial Cup finish in 2005. Richer believes the team’s players could still improve in the playoffs. “They need to focus more on maintaining their lead at certain times,” Richer explains.
Richer expects the team to shine in the playoffs nonetheless, but says anything can happen, and that last year’s playoff performance is a good example. The 2011 playoffs saw the underdog Sudbury Wolves sweeping the 67’s in the first round.
Fans are still confident the team will have a good run. “We have a lot of players who know how to win,” Raymond says.
The team began its playoff schedule at home on Thursday.