OHL Oshawa Generals

Generals Come up Short in Sudbury

Published on December 9, 2011 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Oshawa Generals News Release


Sudbury, Ontario - Oshawa jumped out to an early lead in Sudbury Friday night, but in the end, they couldn't preserve it. A third period Mathew Campagna short handed goal proved to be the difference as the Wolves went on to win 5-4 before a tense crowd of 3,734 at the Sudbury Community Arena. Christian Thomas scored 2 goals in the first period and has 11 points in his last three games. Nicklas Jensen scored 2 late third period goals including his team leading 17th of the year, but it wasn't enough as Oshawa missed out on a chance to be .500 on the season.

The 1st was an offensive period fuelled by power plays. Scoring started when Sudbury made the mistake of giving Oshawa's highly skilled scorers a two man advantage. The Gens didn't disappoint. Christian Thomas made the Wolves pay barrelling a cannon from the top of the circles at 7:53. Sudbury goaltender, Johan Mattsson, looked like a deer caught in the headlights: he was completely helpless as Thomas' blast beat him short side.

Thomas continued to wield the hot hand deflecting a Daniel Maggio point shot past Mattsson at 12:55. Scott Laughton made an excellent heads-up-pass back to Maggio to start the play.

Up 2-0, the Generals appeared to be free, clear and on their way to another lopsided victory. That all changed in a 58 second span.

Joshua Leivo added to his reputation as a "˜Gens Killer' when he roofed the puck over Kevin Bailie's glove hand and cut Oshawa's lead to 2-1. Sudbury then tied it up with a strange power play marker at 14:51. Brody Silk batted the puck mid-air past Bailie after the puck deflected off the glass.

Bailie made 10 stops in the opening frame including a breakaway save on Leivo who snuck in behind the defence but wasn't given any net to shoot at by the Oshawa netminder. At the end of the first, the score was tied, 2-2.

Sudbury road the momentum swing into the second period scoring the go-ahead-goal at 7:07. Michael Macdonald worked the puck down low on the power play before finding Josh McFadden who was cruising in from the point. McFadden stepped into a one-timer and launched the Wolves to a 3-2 lead.

Bailie flirted with the spectacular when he made a stunning outstretched glove save on Nathan Pancel early on in the middle frame. Generals special teams kept Oshawa within 1 killing off a 4 minute Wolves power play mid period. Bailie came up big again at the end of the penalty kill making a fully extended right pad stop on Andrey Kuchin who thought he had a sure goal. With one period remaining, the Generals had their work cut out for them: they were down, 3-2.

In the third, Nicklas Jensen scored two goals for the Generals in the game's final minute. The first came with a two man advantage when Jensen wired a rebound past Mattsson at 19:12. Jensen added his 17th of the season in the dying seconds hacking at a loose puck from in tight. Regrettably, Sudbury scored two third period goals of their own, the kicker being a Mathew Campagna short handed marker that beat Bailie glove side at 17:44. The Generals made Sudbury sweat it out, but at the final buzzer, Sudbury skated away with a 5-4 win.

Oshawa continues their Northern road swing when they faceoff against the Greyhounds this Sunday December 11th in Sault Ste. Marie. Start time is 7:05 PM and the game can be seen live on Rogers TV Durham.

The Generals are back at the GM Centre to take on the Plymouth Whalers next Friday December 16th. Puck drops at 7:35 PM.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from December 9, 2011


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