Ottawa 67's survive slow start in must-win OHL playoff performance against Barrie Colts

Frankie Marrelli (left) and goaltender Ryder Fetterolf of the Ottawa 67's celebrate after their team's 5-2 win over the Barrie Colts on April 14, 2026 in Ottawa. Photo by Tim Austen /Ottawa 67's

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Whatever was said, by whoever said it, in the Ottawa 67’s dressing room during the first intermission at TD Place on Tuesday night might have saved their season.

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Or at the very least, prolonged it.

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After an opening frame in which they were drastically outplayed, the 67’s came to life for a 5-2 victory over the Barrie Colts in front of a playoff-sparse home crowd.

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Barrie leads the best-of-seven, second-round Ontario Hockey League showdown 2-1, with Game 4 set for Thursday in Ottawa.

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As they vowed to do, the 67’s made the vaunted Colts power play a non-factor in Game 3.

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Showing remarkable discipline in a post-season series pitting two teams sharing a strong dislike of each other, the 67’s didn’t take a penalty until a too many men on the ice call with 2:34 left in the third period.

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And Ottawa scored the only goal during the penalty, icing the win with an empty-netter 52 seconds from the end of the game.

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Goalie Ryder Fetterolf is the reason the 67’s aren’t on the brink of elimination today.

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Without his stellar play, Ottawa might have trailed by four 20 minutes into Game 3.

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The Colts came out of the gate like they were the team desperate for the win, outshooting the 67’s 18-7 in the first period on a count that was flattering to the home side.

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When Calvin Crombie scored just past the 12-minute mark with an in-alone chance on a snipe over Fetterolf’s catching mitt, it was Barrie’s 15th shot on goal.

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At that point, Ottawa had three.

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The 67’s showed signs of life after falling behind and carried that momentum into the second period.

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When Barrie’s William Schneid was called for slashing in the seventh minute, the 67’s had to question why he wasn’t given more than just a two-minute minor for pitchforking defenceman Kohyn Eshkawkogan.

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Influencing the sentence, perhaps, was that Eshkawkogan didn’t roll around on the ice like Bedkowski’s victim, Barrie captain Kashawn Aitchenson.

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No matter, the 67’s took advantage of the Schneid penalty, the first of the game taken by either team.

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When Aitchenson followed shortly thereafter by taking an interference penalty, the 67’s capitalized with 25 seconds left in the two-man advantage.

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Pulling the trigger was Frankie Marrelli, who would later go on to add a pair of assists.

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One of them was on a goal by Thomas Vandenberg, who decided to shoot the puck past Colts goaltender Ben Hrebik rather than pass, with Aitcheson still in the box.

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Cooper Foster added another power-play goal with 21.5 seconds left in the period to put the 67’s ahead 3-1 going into the third.

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Spencer Bowes padded the lead, banging in his own rebound on a breakaway, in the fourth minute, but Barrie made things a little tighter when Ben Wilmott scored his eighth of the post-season with more than 13 minutes left in regulation.

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But Fetterolf would not be beaten again.

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