It seems the best way to shutdown the Eastern Conference’s highest scoring team is with solid goaltending.
Mathias Niederberger made 30 saves, earning the game’s first star, to lead the Barrie Colts to a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa 67’s in Ontario Hockey League action on Saturday night.
“I’m pretty happy about it,” Niederberger said. “The team helped me out a lot tonight with clearing rebounds, and we can keep playing like this, we’ll be good.”
Alex Lepkowski and Colin Behenna scored for the Colts (26-19-3), who have won four of its last six contests.
Shane Prince had the lone goal for the 67’s (30-12-5), who had their five-game winning streak snapped.
Ottawa’s Michael Nishi turned aside 24 shots in defeat.
Neither team could convert on the power play, with both Ottawa and Barrie finishing the night at 0 for 3.
The league’s two leading scorers, Tyler Toffoli of Ottawa and Barrie’s Tanner Pearson, were held pointless.
Elsewhere in the OHL, it was: Belleville 5, Sarnia 4 (SO); Brampton 3, Oshawa 2; Erie 7, Sudbury 4; London 6, Saginaw 3 and Guelph 3, Owen Sound 2.
At Barrie, Ont., both squads registered 10 shots on goal in the first period, however no one could score.
The second period was similar as neither club could find the back of the net.
Prince finally opened the scoring 1:44 into the third period to give Ottawa a 1-0 lead.
At 6:23 Behenna scored short handed for Barrie and Lepkowski scored the eventual game winner at 11:27.
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Bulls 5 Sting 4 (SO)
At Belleville, Ont., Joseph Cramarossa scored the winner in a shootout as the Bulls (23-23-1) snapped a six-game losing streak by defeating Sarnia (23-19-6).
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Battalion 3 Generals 2
At Oshawa, Ont., Sam Carrick had a goal and an assist as Brampton (27-12-9) took over sole position of first place in the Central Division with a win over the Generals (21-22-5).
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Otters 7 Wolves 4
At Sudbury, Ont., Dane Fox scored three times as Erie (6-37-4) snapped a 12-game losing streak with a win over the Wolves (24-17-4).
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Knights 6 Spirit 3
At Saginaw, Mich., Greg McKegg set up all three of Max Domi’s goals as London (37-10-1) doubled up the Spirit (21-22-5).
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Storm 3 Attack 2
At Owen Sound, Ont., Scott Kosmachuk scored two goals and Garret Sparks made 38 saves as Guelph (21-19-5) handed the Attack (22-20-6) their fourth straight loss.
