LAST GAME RECAP

Off the heels of a 5-2 defeat to their rivals, the Peterborough Petes, the Generals were in Barrie on Saturday night hoping to get back on track with a win.

Last night Oshawa opened the scoring quickly, and the Generals would do it again tonight. Just 1:01 into the game, Calum Ritchie rifled a shot off the post and into the net for his 23rd of the season.

10 minutes into the period, both teams traded power play chances, but neither team could capitalize. It was on Oshawa’s second man-advantage that Barrie found an opening on a fumbled puck. Evan Vierling stole the puck from the Generals’ defenceman and was off to the races all alone. Vierling made no mistake for his 31st of the season to tie the game, shorthanded.

After two minutes, the score remained 1-1 with Barrie ahead on the shot clock 12-9. Jacob Oster got the start for Oshawa, turning away 11/12 in the first period.

The Generals came out hot once again in the second period, taking a 2-1 lead less than two minutes into the frame. Ryan Gagnier was left all alone in front of the crease and batted home a rebound for his 26th of the season. Momentum stopped there for Oshawa. The Colts rang off three straight goals in less than five minutes to explode for a 4-2 lead. First, it was Ethan Cardwell’s 30th to tie the game, before Tyler Savard scored his 15th and Beau Jelsma’s 26th put Barrie up by two.

With around eight minutes remaining in the period, Cardwell broke out and streaked down the wings, wristing home his 2nd of the game to give Barrie a 5-2 lead. The fifth goal of the night would chase Jacob Oster, ending his night after just 32 minutes.

Things only got worse for the Generals once the third period began. Just over two and a half minutes in, Tyler Savard scored his second of the night, extending Barrie’s lead to 6-2. Oshawa found a little bit of life off the stick of an unlikely contributor. Rookie defenceman David Bedkowski, streaked into the Barrie zone, picked up a loose puck, deking around pretty much everyone before pulling the puck to his backhand and scoring just his second OHL goal. His goal brought the Generals within three.

6-3 is as close as the Generals would get, dropping the fourth of their last five games.

The final game of the weekend is as tough as it can get, when the league’s best Ottawa 67’s come to town, for a 6:05 puck drop on Sunday night.