Back in a familiar place in the Nation’s Capital, for perhaps the last time in his junior career, Brad Gardiner hoped the Hockey Gods would take care of him.
They must have been smiling down at him, as Gardiner scored twice, including a huge third-period power-play goal to break a 2-2 tie and spark a three-goal outburst in 91 seconds to help lead the Barrie Colts to a thrilling 8-5 win over the Ottawa 67’s on Monday afternoon at TD Place.
The Colts’ overage centre spent the first three seasons of his OHL career in Ottawa before joining Barrie in a trade before last season. He was well aware this could be his last OHL game there unless the two teams meet in the playoffs.
If it was, in a battle between two teams fighting along with the Brantford Bulldogs for top spot in the Eastern Conference standings, Gardiner made it a day to remember.
“Obviously, I wanted to go out with a win and wanted to go out with a good game,” said the former 67’s 2021 third-round pick, who now has 26 goals on the season. “Even before the game, I thought maybe the Hockey Gods would take care of me here.
“I had three years in this building, and I always played well, so I’ve been sticking with it, and luckily got rewarded tonight. It feels good, especially against a former team.”
Gardiner, with Barrie on the power play, hammered a one-timer to even the score 1-1 midway through the first period, but it was a highlight reel deke on a breakaway just 6:02 into the third that will be one he especially cherishes.
With Barrie on the power play, he walked in alone and faked a deke to his backhand before pulling it back to his forehand and wrapping it around the left pad of Ottawa goaltender Ryder Fetterolf.
“It was a beautiful goal, and he did have a huge game. He’s been having a lot of big games for us,” said Colts’ head coach Dylan Smoskowtiz of Gardiner.
“It’s funny, he’s such a Barrie Colt through and through, that you actually forget once upon a time he played for the 67’s,” added Smoskowitz. “If this does end up being his last game here in Ottawa, this is going to be a memorable one for him.
“He’s going to have a lot of great memories here. For him to really put the team on his back and get us some big goals on the power play tonight, it was huge for Brad, and we’re just happy for him.”
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Plenty of Colts filled out the scoresheet in this one. Cole Beaudoin had a five-point night with a goal and four assists, while linemate Emil Hemming scored twice and added two helpers. Kashawn Aitcheson also found the back of the net twice, while Parker von Richter added a goal and a pair of assists.
Barrie (37-11-2-4) has now won seven straight and moved ahead of Ottawa (38-13-1-2) by one point, and four behind conference-leading Brantford.
“Obviously, it was a big game,” said Gardiner. “We went into Brampton a little while ago, and we hyped it up a bit. We were focused on them, a little more than ourselves. Then tonight, it was a similar situation, but we just focused on ourselves, sticking with it, and playing a full 60 minutes of hockey.
“I think that’s what gave us success in the end.”
The power play was a huge part of that success, going a perfect four-for-four. Three of those came in the decisive strike when Gardiner, Aitcheson, and Hemming put the Colts on top 6-3.
“It was very strange having a weekend off and gearing up for just one game,” said Smoskowitz, whose club had four days off between games. “That allowed (assistant coach Dennis Martindale) to zero in on what Ottawa was going to give us, and our guys totally understood the game plan.
“They executed the game plan today, and that won us the game. It was a massive difference maker for us today.”
Ottawa, though, wouldn’t go quietly in this one.
Frankie Marrelli, on the power play, and Jasper Kuhta scored 1:25 apart to cut the lead to 6-5 with 6:50 still remaining. Cooper Foster nearly tied it a couple of minutes later when Cooper Foster’s shot off the wing squeezed under Ben Hrebik’s right pad and slid just past the right post,
“We’re not comfortable with the way we handled the lead and the third period,” said Smoskowitz. “That’s going to be a main focus of ours heading down the stretch. We want to get out to early leads. We want to push hard. We have to be much more disciplined. We have to stick to our rules and structure in those third periods when we’re holding a lead.
“We don’t want to sit back. We don’t want to give up too much against other teams. We want to continue to push the pace, but there’s got to be a line, and as a group we have to learn that.”
Aitcheson and Beaudoin would seal the win with empty-net goals 64 seconds apart late in the third.
“I think it’s a learning experience for sure,” said Garner of the late stumble in the third. “Obviously, we almost shot ourselves in the foot there a little bit, but I think it’s better to face that now than in the playoffs and learn from that.
“I was happy we were able to put it away. We didn’t make it easy on ourselves for a little bit there.”
Barrie will have a much busier schedule this weekend when it hosts the Owen Sound Attack on Thursday night, travels to London on Friday night to face the Knights and then returns home Saturday night to face Brantford.
“It was super fun coming back to my rink,” said Gardiner after Monday’s win. “We may see them again in the playoffs. Who knows, but it could be one my last times here, so I was taking it all in. Obviously, a lot of fond memories here, and lots of great people, so I’m still happy that we won, and happy that I could contribute and be part of that.
“It was exciting, for sure.”
ICE CHIPS: Spencer Bowes, Thomas Vandenberg, and Nic Sima also scored for the 67’s. . . Beaudoin’s five-point effort gives him 13 points (5G-8A) over his last three games. He now sits third in the OHL with 74 points (25G, 49A) and is just three points behind leader Nathan Apinall of the Flint Firebirds, who has played 12 more games. The last Colt to win a scoring title was Aaron Luchuk, who had 115 points (50G, 65A) in 2017-18. Luchuk split the season between Windsor and Barrie. . . Aitcheson now has 24 goals and is just three goals shy of passing his franchise record of 26 he set last season. His 11 points (2G, 9A) in 7 games gives him 55 points, just three behind Windsor’s Carson Woodall, who leads all OHL blueliners with 58 points. . . Hemming has four goals and seven points in his last two games, giving him 50 points (21G, 29A) in just 33 games.
