Lopsided loss

The Ottawa Junior 67’s look pretty good for a team in its first year at the major Pee Wee level.

The hometown Thunder Bay Kings probably don’t want to see what they do for an encore.

The Ottawa squad roared out to a 4-0 first period lead and coasted home Tuesday to an 8-0 win at Fort William Gardens, improving to 2-1-0 at the All-Ontario Pee Wee AAA Championship being staged in Thunder Bay this week.

Arthur Hamlin and Mateo Belanger were the offensive stars for the 67’s, potting a pair of goals apiece in the lopsided victory.

Thunder Bay coach Rainer Prager, who switched goalies after Hamlin’s second of the contest at the 4:10 mark of the second, said the Kings were just outmatched.

“We were ready to play, but I’m going to have to say Ottawa has a quite a good hockey team. I think they play their systems quite well and they move the puck well. They’re a little bigger and physically stronger than our kids,” Prager said.

“I think to get used to that toughness I think caused us to get involved in a lot of critical penalties.”

The Kings (0-2-1) were shorthanded five times and the 67’s capitalized on their first four power play opportunities, Thunder Bay’s lone penalty kill success coming early in the third when the game was already out of hand.

“Ultimately we had to perform and we kind of missed on our assignment that way.”

Prager said starting netminder Christian Cicigol, who stopped 15 of 20 shots directed his way, and replacement Kane Sabbe could hardly be blamed for the Ottawa onslaught.

“I think our goalies did a good job considering the number of shots and where those shots were coming from,” the coach said.

“A lot of them were from inside the slot so actually they did pretty good overall, our goaltenders. It’s hard to blame them. And when you’re playing shorthanded for a good part of that time you’re going to get a lot of shots. I thought they made some key saves.”

William Ennis, Harry Sanders, Quinn Simpson and Jason Horvath completed the Ottawa goal scoring.

The Kings take on Nickel City Sons and 6-foot-6, 210-pound defenceman Ethan Lavallee in Tuesday’s 8 p.m. match.

In earlier action the York Simcoe Express downed the Eglin-Middlesex chiefs 5-2 and the Mississauga Rebels out-scored Nickel City 5-2.