Last time Ottawa and Niagara played, Sam Studnicka took what was essentially a season-ending illegal equipment penalty off of an attacking-zone faceoff.
Tonight, his luck on draws in St. Catharines turned the other way, going 17 for 29 in the dot (as per @notsoheavyd), adding a shorthanded tally to an outstanding penalty kill showing, helping the 67's to a 6-3 win.
Studnicka's change in faceoff luck notwithstanding, this year's first IceDogs-67's matchup was eerily similar to that of the opening game in last season's Eastern Conference quarterfinal.
Much alike game one in the 2015 postseason, the officials made themselves the main attraction, but the 67's scored on a shorthanded breakaway, again, and took a 2-0 lead past the five-minute mark of the first.
From there, it was special teams domination for the Barberpoles.
Between a perfect 8-for-8 on the penalty kill, including two lengthy 5-on-3's, and a Jake Middleton powerplay marker in the second, Ottawa took over the aspect of the game forced upon them by the officiating.
Liam Herbst checked back into the lineup with a 33-save performance while Jeremiah Addison, Ben Fanjoy and Trent Mallette, the latter into an empty net, also scored.
Jeff Brown might not be happy with the pond hockey style, but they keep pace with the Frontenacs, who beat the Bulldogs tonight, at the top of the division and conference.
Ottawa takes on the Bulldogs in Hamilton tomorrow.
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