The Calgary Roughnecks welcomed the Ottawa Black Bears to Scotiabank Saddledome Saturday night for the second of two meetings this year. Ottawa came into the game on a four-game win streak that began when they won the first meeting in Week 11 by a score of 11-9. The Roughnecks entered the game with a 3-9 record, but fresh off a 14-7 win over Rochester the week prior. Four Calgary players had six-point nights in a 13-9 victory that ended the Black Bears’ win streak and dropped them to 8-6 on the season.
Calgary stifles Ottawa offense in the first half
The Roughnecks got on the board first, as Riley Loewen (6:41) beat Black Bears goaltender Zach Higgins. The score remained 1-0 as the first quarter ended, but the Roughnecks worked quickly in the second quarter. Haiden Dickson (0:19 second quarter) buried a feed from Tyler Pace on the doorstep to make it 2-0. Mathieu Gautier (3:18) followed with his first goal of the year to extend the Roughnecks’ lead to three, but Jeff Teat responded with a long-range goal just 21 seconds later to break the scoreless drought for the Black Bears. Calgary then went on a four-goal run. Dickson netted his second (8:20), followed by Tanner Cook (9:08) and Brayden Mayea (10:45 power play). Dickson’s hat trick goal (11:24) gave the Roughnecks a 7-1 lead. A goal from Connor Kearnan (14:13) broke the run, but Ottawa trailed 7-2 at halftime.
Calgary holds off second half charge from Black Bears
The Black Bears got hot at the start of the second half as Teat scored his second (0:59). Phil Caputo, acquired from Philadelphia at the trade deadline, then tallied his first in an Ottawa uniform (1:30). Reilly O’Connor (5:40 power play) cut the deficit to 7-5, but Dickson responded with his fourth of the night (6:53) to break the Black Bears run. Mayea scored back-to-back (9:15; 10:48) to make it a 10-5 game. Caputo struck again at the 12:10 mark to narrow Calgary’s lead to 10-6 going into the fourth quarter, where Ottawa has excelled all season.
However, the Roughnecks were up to the task in the final frame. Cook’s second (0:28 fourth quarter) extended the lead to five again, but Kearnan’s second made it 11-7. A goal from Tyler Pace (3:53) pushed the Calgary lead to five again. Another power play goal from O’Connor (8:03) and a goal from Larson Sundown (10:08) pulled the Black Bears closer, 12-9, but Cook iced the game with an empty-net goal (13:16). Tempers flared following that goal, with Calgary defenseman Liam LeClair and Ottawa defenseman Matt Marinier receiving game misconduct penalties for fighting. Kearnan and Roughnecks defender Griffin Hall also received 10-minute misconduct penalties as time wound down.
Other Stats Of Note
Ottawa: Teat (2g, 4a); O’Connor (2g, 3a); Kearnan (2g, 2a); Caputo (2g); Sundown (1g); Rob Hellyer (6a)
Calgary: Dickson (4g, 2a); Cook (3g, 3a); Mayea (3g, 3a); Pace (1g, 5a); Loewen (1g, 3a); Gautier (1g)
Zach Higgins (OTT): 42 saves; Aden Walsh (CGY): 38 saves
Justin Inacio (CGY): 17-26 Faceoffs; 8 Loose Balls
Power Play: OTT 2 for 2; CGY 1 for 4
