The Ottawa 67’s have made it known they intend to fight to the end for home-ice advantage in the playoffs.

But with the Niagara IceDogs — Ottawa’s now-confirmed first-round opponent — nipping at the 67’s heels, Sunday’s regular season finale could become a big one.

With Ottawa needing to win both its final games to control its own destiny and start round one at TD Place, the 67’s demolished the Peterborough Petes 6-2 in front of 3,760 at Lansdowne Friday night.

The win was the fifth-straight for the 67’s against the Petes this season and improves their record in the season series to 6-2, which includes a pair of shootout victories. After missing Thursday’s 5-2 loss to the Battalion with the flu, 67’s goalie Liam Herbst returned against Peterborough, turning away 14 shots in one of his lighter nights of work this season.

With Ottawa outshooting the Petes 11-3 late in the first, Herbst made what turned out to be his best save of the game, sprawling in his crease to knock the puck away with his blocker to keep the score 2-0 going into the intermission.

Dylan Wells made 29 saves in a losing cause for the Petes.

The win gives Ottawa the edge to secure home-ice advantage in the first round; Ottawa is guaranteed home ice if they win the regular season finale Sunday with Sudbury in town or if Niagara loses either of its final two games.

Other than a couple late goals by the Petes, head coach Jeff Brown was happy with his group’s effort.

“(For) 50, 55 minutes it was good, we’ve just got to be more consistent and ask more of ourselves,” Brown said. “But a lot of (the game it was) really good ... we’ve got to work on our game so we’re ready Thursday night to compete in the playoffs.”

If there was any doubt the 67’s would have trouble getting going after returning from a loss in North Bay in the wee hours of Friday morning, it didn’t take long for the Barber Poles to prove them wrong.

The 67’s got an early goal from Sam Studnicka early in the game – and on the only shot for either team until the eight-minute mark – before Brendan Bell scored his first of two on the night on a slick setup from Nathan Todd.

Though he was beating himself up for the two Peterborough goals, Herbst said the team is confident heading into Sunday’s game and then the playoffs.

“We played very well,” he said. “I had to make basically one (big) save for the first 50 minutes and then I let in two bad goals. It happens. “We battled hard, we were up 6-0 so they’re basically manginess goals, but you don’t want to give up anyway.”

Curtis Meighan made it 3-0 before the eight-minute mark of the middle frame, taking advantage of a collision between Connor Graham and Logan DeNoble in the slot that gave Meighan a clear shot on goal that beat Wells.

A few minutes later, Petes defenceman Matthew Tims hauled Bell down on a breakaway and the 67’s alternate captain made no mistake on the ensuing penalty shot, firing a shot that beat Wells through the five-hole.

Addison added insult to injury before the second intermission, knocking the puck in out of mid-air off a cross-ice pass from Trent Mallette. Connor Graham also scored in the third.

Mallette said not letting up late in games will be a key for Ottawa in the playoffs.

“We’ve got to be in that playoff mentality, so we played a lot more physical with a lot more speed (and) we just gotta carry that into the playoffs,” he said. “We’ve got to play the full 60 minutes of the game, if not, things can happen and it’s not going to be good.”

67'S IN TOUGH IN ROUND 1

A few weeks ago, the Ottawa 67's had a preferred playoff opponent, though nobody on the team would say it out loud.

But it was hard to deny Ottawa would have much preferred to take on the Kingston Frontenacs in round one of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. The 67's went 5-2-0-1 against the Frontenacs this season and would have happily taken them over the Niagara IceDogs. Though Ottawa also has a winning record against Niagara this year (3-1-0), the IceDogs have been almost unbeatable of late and will come into the playoffs with some swagger.

But then the Calgary Flames sent top prospect Sam Bennett back to his junior home in Kingston and suddenly the Frontenacs don't seem like quite the optimal opponent they once did.

"Don't think for a second (Ottawa) didn't have their eye on the Fronts," said a league source. "Now Bennett's back and it's become six to one, half-dozen to the other."

Twitter: @chrishofley