Gens Jump in to 7th Place
Published on February 5, 2012 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Oshawa Generals News Release
Oshawa, Ontario - The Generals started their Super Bowl party early on Sunday. They beat the Guelph Storm 4-2 before a rocking house of 4,685 at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa. With the win, the Generals move into sole possession of 7th place and sit 1 point behind Peterborough for 6th in the Conference.
Scott Laughton had a whale of an afternoon scoring once and assisting on the game's winning goal. It took more than half the game to solve Storm goaltender, Garret Sparks, a fact not lost on Laughton who described just how difficult it was to break through. "I think that we weren't getting traffic in front of him," said Laughton.
"We started to pressure them hard and we finally broke him. On the tying goal, we got a little bit lucky. We had a 2-on-1 and I was fortunate enough to capitalize on the chance."
Both teams entered the game tied for the final playoff spot in their respective conferences. Needless to say, neither side needed any extra motivation.
Guelph managed the only goal in the first period at 2:57. Breaking in on a 2-on-1, Cody McNaughton cradled a saucer-pass and went backhand-to-forehand before knifing the puck over Kevin Bailie's left shoulder. Guelph led 1-0.
The Generals spent much of the frame hemmed in their own zone, a fact easily explained by three consecutive Oshawa penalties. Fortunately, the Gens' penalty kill kept attackers to the perimeter, allowed Bailie to see the puck, and even generated near scoring chances at the other end.
Heading into the second, Oshawa's mandate was simple; stay out of the box and get more quality scoring opportunities on Guelph's goal.
Scott Laughton scored the equalizer. Stealing the puck in the neutral zone, Laughton blew down the left side and blitzed a blast that beat Sparks glove side. The top shelf scorcher deadlocked the game at 1.
At 18:56, Sebastian Uvira gave the Gens the lead. Working the wall, Uvira rolled off the boards and solved Sparks with a seeing-eye-wrist-shot. No doubt, a steady stream of traffic in front of Guelph's net gave Uvira the seam that he needed. At the end of 40, the Generals led 2-1 and were out shooting Guelph 22-18.
Penalty trouble came back to bite the Generals at the start of the third period. With the Storm on the power play, Matt Finn cruised in from the point and picked up a rebound at the dots. Finn ripped the tying marker at 3:42, a one-timer that Bailie had no time to meet.
But the Generals refused to let the Storm off the hook. Once again, it was Laughton stirring the drink, breaking in with Christian Thomas on a 2-on-1. Laughton fed Thomas who out-waited Sparks before shelving the winner over the falling goaltender. Thomas' 23rd of the season came at 4:24.
Leaving nothing to chance, Nicklas Jensen netted the security blanket at 14:07. Working on the power play, Jensen snuck in on the left side and potted a rebound for his 22nd of the season.
Bailie made 34 saves, and as the horn sounded, Oshawa leapfrogged Mississauga in the standings, thanks to the Majors' 5-3 loss to Windsor in regulation today.
Scott Laughton and Sebastian Uvira picked up the first and third star selections. Oshawa's playoff push continues with a busy 4 game week.
The Generals hit the road this Tuesday February 7th for a rare weekday match against archrival Peterborough. Oshawa is 5 and 0 vs. the Petes this season. The stakes are high with the winner taking sole possession of 6th place in the Eastern Conference. Start time is 7:05 PM, and you can catch the action live on Rogers TV Durham.
The Gens return home this Saturday February 11th for a date with their division rival, the Kingston Frontenacs. Puck drops at 7:05 PM at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa.
Sunday February 12th, Oshawa battles the Niagara IceDogs at the GMC. Niagara's roster boasts 5 of Boone Jenner's Team Canada teammates who won bronze together in Alberta. Faceoff goes at 6:05 PM.
Ontario Hockey League Stories from February 5, 2012
- Gens Jump in to 7th Place - Oshawa Generals
- Spirit Sweep Road Trip with Win at Kitchener - Saginaw Spirit
- Rangers Fall 4-1 to Spirit - Kitchener Rangers
- Whalers win over Spits - Windsor Spitfires
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