Wednesday afternoon not friendly to the Generals playoff hopes
Oshawa, Ont., – A hot start just wasn’t enough for the struggling Generals to get back in the win column against the league’s best Ottawa 67’s.
Oshawa came out flying in the first period, playing to their systems and hemming Ottawa into their own zone for the first 10 minutes of play. Oshawa took it to the 67’s and outshot them 7-1, leading to their first goal of the game. A giveaway in the Ottawa zone landed on the stick of Stuart Rolofs, who made no mistake scoring his 31st of the season.
From then on, the 67’s found their legs, and things started turning the way of the home side. Ottawa scored three unanswered goals on 16 unanswered shots to lead the period 3-1 after 20 minutes. Goals from Gavin Ewels, Will Gerrior and Jack Beck erased the slow start from Ottawa.
Jacob Oster earned the start for Oshawa and made some big saves despite the three goals allowed on 17 shots.
Early in the 2nd period, Luca D’Amato took an errant high-sticking penalty, giving the 67’s their first power play of the game. Ottawa made no mistake Brady Stonehouse connected for his 34th of the year on a one-timer, giving the 67’s a 4-1 lead.
Just a few minutes later, the 67’s scored another goal, this time off the stick of Jack Matier, who let a wrister go from the far point, giving the home team a 5-1 lead.
On a 5-on-3 power play, the Generals got a little bit of life, thanks to Ryan Gagnier’s 28th of the year, bringing Oshawa’s deficit to just 5-2.
Two minutes later, a play in front of Oster ended with him on his back and the puck in his net, making it 6-1 for Ottawa. Off the following faceoff, the 67’s took the play back into Oshawa’s zone, where a point shot was tipped home through the five-hole of an unsuspecting Oster.
The second period ended with the 67’s up 7-2 on the score clock and 33-14 on the shot clock.
Carter Bickle would enter the game to start the third period, and was tested right away off a flurry of chances from the 67’s, stopping all of them. On Oshawa’s 5th power play chance of the afternoon, Rolofs was able to convert his squad’s second power play goal of the afternoon, scoring his second of the game.
A few moments later, Will Gerrior completed his hat trick after finishing off a nifty and patient play in front of Bickle. The goal restored Ottawa’s five-goal lead, making it 8-3. In relief, Bickle stopped 4/5 shots.
These two teams will meet for the final time of the regular season in just two days, when the Ottawa 67’s make their last trip to the Tribute Communities Centre, in what is still set to be a first-round preview between the Gens and 67’s.
