Friday Night Rivalry: Gens Ready to Take on the Petes

Sports stats



 Oshawa Generals

Friday Night Rivalry: Gens Ready to Take on the Petes

January 24, 2025 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Oshawa Generals News Release


Oshawa, ON - The Oshawa Generals are gearing up to host their biggest rivals, the Peterborough Petes, on Friday night at the Tribute Communities Centre.

Last weekend, the Generals faced a tough home-and-home series against the Brantford Bulldogs, falling 4-3 in overtime at home on Friday and 5-3 in regulation on Saturday in Brantford. However, they rebounded on Sunday evening with a 4-1 victory over the second-place Windsor Spitfires.

In Friday's matchup against Brantford, Noah Powell notched his first career OHL goal early in the first period to tie the game and keep the Gens in contention. The Philadelphia Flyers prospect, acquired from the Ohio State Buckeyes, wasted no time making an impact, adding to the momentum he built with assists in his first two games with Oshawa.

The Petes arrive in Oshawa coming off a big 8-6 win over the Saginaw Spirit, having won just four of their last ten games. They will undoubtedly be eager to stay in the win column and generate some much-needed positive momentum.

The most recent match between these rivals took place in early December at the Memorial Centre, where the Generals came up short in a 4-3 overtime loss. Despite that setback, the Gens have controlled the season series, claiming victory in the other four matchups.

This matchup saw the Generals off to a challenging start, surrendering a shorthanded goal on their first powerplay, giving the Petes a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

In the second period, Peterborough extended their lead just five minutes in, with Colin Fitzgerald netting the game's second goal to make it 2-0. Fortunately, Generals defenceman Zach Sandhu responded with a well-placed shot from the point that navigated through traffic and found the back of the net, cutting the deficit to one. However, the Petes quickly restored their two-goal lead, scoring with 7:04 remaining in the frame to make it 3-1.

The third period was the Generals' strongest of the night. A powerplay goal from Luke Torrance just 3:13 into the period gave the team a much-needed boost, and another powerplay tally by Colby Barlow six minutes later evened the score at 3-3, forcing overtime for the third time between these rivals this season.

In the extra frame, Peterborough's Gavin Bryant sealed the game just 49 seconds into overtime, handing the Generals a hard-fought 4-3 loss.

Keep an eye on Winnipeg Jets prospect Colby Barlow as the Generals head into Friday's matchup. The talented left-winger is riding a seven-game point streak, highlighted by a standout performance two weekends ago in the second half of a home-and-home series against the Ottawa 67's. In that game, Barlow tallied two goals and an assist, helping propel the Gens to a 6-2 victory.

On the opposing side, Petes' captain Jonathan Melee is the player to watch. Leading his team with 22 points, Melee is also their top goal scorer with 16, including three shorthanded goals. The forward's leadership and scoring ability make him a key player in Peterborough's lineup.


• Discuss this story on the Ontario Hockey League message board...

Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 24, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Oshawa Generals Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central