Fighting for a playoff spot
Four-game home stand sees Gens net seven of eight possible points
The Oshawa Generals, in a fight to extend their season into the playoffs, had a successful four-game home stand, securing seven of a possible eight points. Riley Stillman shows what he thinks of Oshawa’s rivalry with Peterborough in a scrap with Petes’ defenseman Matthew Timms during Oshawa’s most recent 5-2 victory on Feb. 28.
By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express
Gens fans, keep doing what you’re doing because it seems to be working.
Dating back to their 2-1 overtime victory over the Ottawa 67s on Feb. 21, the Oshawa Generals have won three of the last four games at the General Motors Centre, the lone loss being a 5-4 overtime loss to the Mississauga Steelheads on Feb. 24.
Since then, Oshawa has defeated the Kitchener Rangers 5-0 and, most recently, the rival Peterborough Petes 5-2 on Feb. 28.
Needless to say, head coach Bob Jones is happy with the play of his team at such a crucial juncture in the season. Following Friday’s (March 4) match-up in Mississauga, the Generals only have six games remaining in the regular season. They currently sit two points ahead of the Hamilton Bulldogs for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
“We continue to get points and we’re finding a way when it’s such an important part of the season to find a way to get points,” Jones says. “You’ve got to give a lot of credit to these young guys.”
Jack Studnicka opened the scoring for Oshawa on Sunday, knocking in a rebound past Petes goaltender Scott Smith for his first goal since Jan. 2.
“I don’t think it could have gone any better,” Studnicka said of the team’s four-game stretch on home ice.
The 16-year-old says he knows making the playoffs is huge for his team and the recent success has given them some confidence.
“It gives us the feeling that this is doable,” he said.
In order to keep the momentum going, the team is going to need to find a way to bottle their home ice gusto and take it on the road.
Prior to their home stand, Oshawa lost four straight, three of them on the road.
“We’re going to have to watch some tape and look for ways to get in there and establish a good forecheck,” Jones says, adding a strong game in both ends of the ice will be crucial to keep the points racking up.
“We’ve just got to stick to what we do best and stick to the game plan,” says Eric Henderson. “Just go out there and just play and not worry about too much.”
Henderson secured the first mutli-point game of his OHL career against the Petes with a pair of goals in the victory. Alex Renaud added one of his own and captain Anthony Cirelli secured the empty netter to seal the deal.
With the season winding down and each consecutive game building in importance, Jones says he doesn’t see his young team being affected by the pressure.
“They seem like they’re focused, they’re working hard, they’re playing the structure and they’re getting rewarded for it,” he said.
Following the March 4 game against Mississauga, Oshawa returns home on Wednesday, March 9 to face off against the Eastern Conference leading Kingston Frontenacs. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.