Owen Cole’s game winner gives Ottawa their third straight win

By: Mason Detre

Ottawa, ON – The Ottawa Jr. Senators defeated the Kanata Lasers 3-2 in overtime at the Jim Durrell Sports Complex on Saturday night.

After a scoreless first, Faisal Alsaif opened up the scoring by going coast-to-coast, sniping it blocker side on Kanata’s goaltender Vincent Bujold-Roux.

“I thought he (Alsaif) was really good. He’s showing that he is one of the elite defensemen in this league. I definitely think that he can play division 1, the more and more I watch him play and grow as a player. He and Bailey Brant had to play against that top line, all night long. I thought they did a fantastic job, so hopefully that they can keep playing the same way,” said Ottawa Jr Senators Head Coach Martin Dagenais.

Kanata would tie the game late in the second period but in the third, Vincent Velocci would give Ottawa the lead for the second time in the game. Zachary Gravel shot the puck at the right faceoff circle and it went off of Velocci’s body and in. Velocci snaps a five-game goalless drought by getting his 6th of the season.

Ottawa would take a penalty with 2:08 to go and on the man advantage, Paul Larabie would tie the game at two after tipping in Liam Markhauser’s shot from the point.

“In the last seven or eight minutes, we kinda stood and watch Kanata skate with the puck. I’m not sure why we got so defensive. It’s not our style of play to just trap in the last seven or eight minutes when we’re up by one. I felt that we didn’t go on the attack more and that’s when they got their best chances,” said Dagenais.

Eventually, Ottawa would secure the second point with Owen Cole scoring the game-winner after he receiving a  pass from Tucker McIntosh in his own zone and just went up the middle when two Kanata players fell to the ice. It’s his league-leading fourth game-winning goal this season and finished the night with 1 G / 1 A. Martin Dagenais commented on Owen Cole’s game.

“Well he has to move his feet, he is successful when he moves his feet. When he was on the inside and now on the outside, I like the fact that he was using his body a bit more. I don’t think he’s at the top of his game right now but I think he’s getting closer and closer, he was a slower starter last year for us as a rookie and I think he’s coming to his own now.”

Bryan Landsberger made 25 saves for his 5th win of the season. The shots were 40-27 in favor of Ottawa. The Jr. Senators are 15-5 when having 30 or more shots and are 13-6 when outshooting their opponents.

Ottawa also gets its third consecutive win to improve to 15-6-1. For now, they sit in second place in the CCHL.

On Tuesday, Owen Cole, Ethan Mulhearn, Thomas Freel, and Tucker McIntosh will represent the CCHL when they travel to Terrebonne, Quebec to play against the QJHL for a potential shot of making the Team Canada East roster for the World Junior A Challenge that will take place in Dawson Creek, BC from December 7th-15th. Martin Dagenais is also the head coach for Team Canada East in that tournament.

Next game for the Ottawa Jr. Senators will go Wednesday morning when they take on the Rockland Nationals for the school day game at 11:30 am. You can catch all the action on mixlr.com/ojsradio or Hockey TV.