Gens suffer 8th straight loss
Oshawa, Ont., – There was no special St. Patrick’s Day luck for the struggling Oshawa Generals this season, losing their eighth-straight game. The Ottawa 67’s completed their season-series dominance over the Generals with a tighter-than-usual 4-3 victory, finishing the season series 7-0-1-0 against the Generals.
In the opening 20 minutes, the GensNation faithful numbered at 5,854, were alive early with Irish jig dancing in the crowd, rhythmic clapping, ‘Go Gens Go’ chants and, the wave. It looked like the Generals were taking it all in and using it to take it to the league’s best team. While the 67’s opened the scoring less than five minutes into the game, Oshawa responded in the best way.
In a span of just 1:02, both Luke Torrance and Ty Petrou were able to get on the board for the home side, erasing an early 1-0 deficit and turning it into a 2-1 lead seemingly out of nowhere. Torrance started the scoring after he perfectly read the shot from teammate Dylan Roobroeck, receiving the rebound right off the pads of Collin MacKenzie before he buried it into an empty cage. 1:02 later, Ty Petroud turned around in the zone with the puck, threw it on net, and beat MacKenzie clean with a shot that surprised the entire building.
Unfortunately for the Generals, they couldn’t get out of the first period with the lead. First, to no one’s suprise, Logan Morrison was able to get on the board for Ottawa, finally hitting home a loose puck in the Oshawa crease, that Jacob Oster did everything he could to smother. Less than three minutes later, Cooper Foster beat Oster clean with a wrist shot with about six minutes left in the frame, to tie the game.
In the second period, the only scoring came for the 67’s, extending their lead to 4-2. Cameron Tolnai buried his 24th of the season to extend the lead. Oshawa managed just five shots on goal in the entire second period, while the 67’s got 12 off towards Oster.
The final frame had started, and you can feel the sense of urgency from the Generals. Offensive pressure in the Ottawa zone forced the 67’s to take a few penalties they wish they’d have avoided. On an ensuing 4-on-3 power play, Ryan Gagnier used his speed to get almost all the way around a 67’s defender, forcing him to hook Gagnier off balance. Despite the obstruction, Gagnier was still able to drive to the net and tuck the puck past MacKenzie.
This is as close as the Generals would get though, failing to beat MacKenzie with the goalie pulled late in the third period. The loss marked Oshawa’s 8th defeat in a row and 13th in their last 15 games.
Despite the loss, the Generals remained one point ahead of the Kingston Frontenacs who lost to London 6-3. Oshawa’s next home game is their 2nd last of the regular season when they host James Hardie and the Mississauga Steelheads at 6:05 p.m. with the hope to get back into the win column and closer to the postseason.
