CJHL Hockey
Newly-acquired defenceman gets two points in 3-2 overtime loss to Jr. Sens
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

Cumberland Grads newly-acquired defenceman Jonathan Burroughs (14) fights for the puck with Ottawa Jr. Senators forward Andrew Newell (12) during second period action on Sunday. Fred Sherwin/Photo

The Ottawa Jr. Sens continue to have the Cumberland Grads number this season. On Sunday, they skated to their fourth win in five meetings, downing the hometown Grads 3-2 in overtime.

The Grads put up a valiant effort, tying the game twice at 1-1 and 2-2. But in the end it was not to be as they couldn't score the go ahead goal against Jr. Sens netminder Erik-Niels Ravn who had an exceptional game turning away 47 of 49 shots.

On the bright side for Cumberland, newly-acquired D-man Jonathan Burroughs scored his first goal in a Grads uniform and assisted on Cumberland's first goal.

The Grads picked up Burroughs from the Hawkesbury Hawks, along with fellow defenceman Sebastien Dubus, in a three-way deal that saw Stephen Farrell traded back to the Pembroke Lumber Kings.

Burroughs quarterbacked the Hawks' power play and scored five goals and 14 assists for the last place team.

The 19-year-old says he is excited to be playing for a playoff contender.

"When my coach told me there was a 95 per cent chance that I would be coming here, I was pretty happy. But now that I'm here, I'm very excited. I think we can do well in the playoffs," Burroughs said after Sunday's game.

Grads head coach Paul Flindall says the team had to make a trade-off in losing its top two scorers in Mathieu Ouellette and Mitch Gallant who had asked to be dealt, by getting much stronger on defence.

Picking up Burroughs and Dubus, along with Ian Lavigne, who they acquired the rights to in a trade with the Cornwall Colts, will fulfill that goal almost over night. The question now is whether or not the current roster of forwards will be able to pick up the slack offensively.

Judging by Sunday's game against the Jr. Sens, it will take some time. The Grads peppered Ravn with 49 shots and only managed to score twice. Developing the ability to finish their scoring chances is now priority number one both for the coaching staff and the team.

"In bringing in the guys we have, the question was can we play 1-0 and 2-1 games and the obviously we can. Now it's just a matter of coming out on the right side of those low scoring games," says Flindall. "We definitely need to take more of a team approach to scoring where certain guys are going to have to step up and contribute more on the score sheet."

Burroughs and Dubus joins a blueline corps that already includes Michael Nooyen, Kevin Lough and Kevin Tansey who had an especially strong game on Sunday. Ryan Bell was the sixth defenceman in the lineup, who is on the bubble should Lavigne join the team in the next couple of games.

Both Burroughs and Dubus made their presence felt on Sunday, thanks to their physical, energetic play.

Burroughs drew an assist on the Grads' first goal after he took a pass from behind the net from Greg Sortoretto and slid the puck over to Daniel Goyette who was parked on the far side of the crease.

The Jr. Sens eventually regained the lead late in the first when Nicholas Belleville fired a quick accurate shot from just inside the blue line that beat Adam Mohr high glove side.

Burroughs tied the game at 2-2 with a blistering shot from the left point that Ravn likely never saw.

The game remained tied through the second and third periods before former Grads prospect Andrew Newell scored with 1:42 left to go in overtime after cruising to an open area in the low slot and taking a pass from Maxime Pilon.

The newest members of the Grads will have plenty of time to get to know each other this week as they prepare for their next game against the Kanata Stallions next Sunday at the Navan Arena. Game time is 3 p.m.

(Posted 2:30 p.m., Jan. 18)

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