Colts beat Ottawa to earn fifth win in last six games

The Barrie Colts are hitting their stride.

Riley Patterson scored twice, and Bode Stewart pitched in with three assists to help the Colts top the host Ottawa 67’s 5-3 Sunday at TD Place and earn their fifth win in their last six games.

Things get even better for Barrie with the expected return of captain Beau Jelsma (shoulder) and top NHL Draft prospect Kashawn Aitcheson (suspension) to the lineup this week.

“We feel good, but I don’t think we’ve seen the best of this team yet,” Colts general manager and head coach Marty Williamson said after the win in the Nation’s Capital. “We have high hopes for Jelsma next week to be back and Aitcheson gets back in our lineup, so I think we can really push this team to give us more and that’s what I’m really excited about.”

NHL camps, injuries, and suspensions have prevented the Colts (6-3) from icing a full lineup, but since dropping two of the first three games Patterson says he and his teammates are coming along just fine.

“Getting the guys back together and all the new guys coming together has evolved the chemistry,” said the Vancouver Canucks prospect. “We’ll get a full lineup when Jelsma comes back soon, and we’ll be even better.”

On a day Ottawa (3-4-1-1) was celebrating the 90^th birthday of retired legendary coach Brian Kilrea, the Colts escaped a wild second period with a 4-3 lead before locking things down in the third.

Seven of the game’s eight goals – Zach Wigle scored into an empty net with 37 seconds remaining – were scored in the middle frame.

“I thought we did too,” Williamson said of the Colts locking things down defensively in the final period. “We talked about it. We gave up nine scoring chances in the second, which is high for us. I thought we just gave more attention and played the same game.

“I thought we were really good in the third period and fortunately, we scored some goals in the second which kind of made up for the mistakes.”

A backhanded pass from Stewart to Dalyn Wakely put Barrie on top early in the second before Cooper Foster scored twice a little more than two minutes apart to put Ottawa in front.

Brad Gardiner, making his first return to the Nation’s Capital since being traded, tied it at 9:19 before Patterson wired one over 67’s goaltender Collin MacKenzie’s shoulder a little more than a minute later to put Barrie on top again.

With Ottawa on a power play, Kohyn Eshawkogan scored his first OHL goal to tie it again before Patterson beat MacKenzie once more with 3:04 left in the second on what proved to be the winning goal.

“We made some mistakes,” Williamson said of the second period. “We should have had a shot block on the power play goal, it was a bad one. I think (goalie Sam Hillebrandt) would like that bad angle one back (through five-hole) a little bit. So, we made a couple of mistakes, but Patterson came through with a couple of goals and made some nice plays at the net.

“The Wakely line responded really quick after the one goal, and those are good signs when the next line out sets the tone to get us in a positive mood.”

It was Patterson’s third goal in his last two games.

“I think it’s just effort,” said Patterson, of his recent surge after going scoreless in his first five games this season. “As a line, (Cole) Beaudoin, (Tai) York, and I just continue to stay on the pucks, the forecheck and create (chances), and to have that support I think is what’s working with us because we get more offensive zone time.”

Patterson and his linemates are starting to heat up.  

“That’s what he can do,” said Williamson of his sniper. “He’s a goalscorer when he gets those chances, and Cobo is working hard. I think he’s been our best player the last few nights. He really drives the game, and it’s a real compliment to some guys.”

The chemistry is there between the trio who combined for 74 goals and 173 points last season.

“It goes back to the second half of last year,” said Patterson, who had 29 goals and 33 assists in 68 games last season. “Playing with Cobo and York the chemistry is built and it’s good to see it clicking again.”

With one first-period goal in nine games this season, the Colts have been slow out of the gate. Though they were held off the scoresheet again Sunday in the opening 20 minutes, Williamson was happy with his team’s start.

“We’ve got better as the games have gone on,” he said. “The kind of game we play is we’re trying to wear teams down and use the depth in our lineup and sometimes it takes a little bit. The first period is kind of that feeling out process, so I was happy with our first period and pretty happy with the third.”

The 67’s held a special dinner for Kilrea, the OHL’s winningest coach with 1,194 victories over 32 years in Ottawa.

Many of Kilrea’s former players were in attendance including former NHLers Doug Wilson and Darren Pang.

Williamson was honoured he could be there on the day the five-time OHL coach of the year was being celebrated.

“He gave me a wave there,” said Williamson of the junior hockey legend nicknamed Killer. “I have a ton of respect for that man and what he’s done. It was fun getting the win in here on his night.”

The Colts will have a few days before kicking off a busy three-games-in-three-nights run on Thursday at home against the Erie Otters. Barrie travels to face the Brampton Steelheads on Friday and then returns home on Saturday to host the Guelph Storm.

Game time Thursday at Sadlon Arena is 7 p.m.

ICE CHIPS: Emil Hemming made a nice pass from inside the Barrie blueline to Wigle on his empty-net goal. The Dallas Stars prospect has two goals and seven points in nine games. “We haven’t been able to use the best out of him,” said Williamson. “He makes a great breakout pass to Wigle for the empty net goal which takes a lot of pressure off us. You see the talent this kid has, but we got to find a way to help him out.”. . . Hillebrandt made 25 saves to earn his fourth win. . . . Stewart now has seven assists in nine games. . .  Wigle (1-1), Patterson (2-0) and Akey (0-2) each had two points.