Gens head into Christmas break on a high note

By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express

The Gens faced off in two hockey games over the weekend that could not have been more different.

The Oshawa Generals started the weekend off with a tough 4-1 loss to the Flint Firebirds, despite outshooting the club 41-19. Then, on Dec. 20, the club bounced back to pummel the visiting Sudbury Wolves 7-0.

Despite the large scoring differential, head coach Bob Jones said he was happy with his team’s play throughout the weekend.

“We were challenged to score our last home game and it cost us, but I thought we played a pretty good game…against Flint and didn’t get rewarded,” he said. “I didn’t think there was much difference in tonight’s game other than the pucks went in and these boys certainly got what they deserved tonight.”

Things got started early for the Generals on Sunday when Joe Manchurek sniped in his first of the game on Oshawa’s very first shot of the game less than three minutes into the game.

Jack Studnicka, having recently broken a 27-game scoreless streak to start his OHL career, put a wrist shot past Wolves goaltender Troy Timpano to put Oshawa up by two.

During the final minute of play, it seemed the Wolves headed to the dressing room early.

With 48 seconds to go, a scramble play in front of Timpano would see Manchurek slam in his second of the game, and a little more than 30 seconds later, Anthony Cirelli would score off a slap shot to end the first frame with a 4-0 lead.

The end of the first would also be the end of Timpano’s night as Zack Bowman would come in to replace him in the second.

The Oshawa powerplay got an extended opportunity early in the game after Sudbury’s Reagan O’Grady would receive five minutes and a game misconduct for slew footing Mitch Vande Sompel. Despite repeated attempts and several shots, nothing would find its way past Bowman on the powerplay.

Past the halfway point, Riley Stillman would find his way to the box for tripping, but being a man down didn’t stop Oshawa’s offence.

A lucky bounce would spring Manchurek and Vande Sompel. Vande Sompel would keep the puck and fire it past Bowman for Oshawa’s fifth goal on 20 shots in the game.

The good news continued when just over a minute later, captain Michael Dal Colle would snap a nine-game scoreless streak with a puck that bounced over Bowman’s shoulder and trickled into the net over his sprawling arms.

Nearing the end of the period, Oshawa would go on the powerplay where a Vande Sompel shot from the point would be tipped in front by Sam Harding, making the score 7-0.

Jeremy Brodeur would remain perfect in the third, earning his fifth shutout of the season, tying him with Mississauga’s Jack Flinn for the league lead.

“He’s had a few games there that were questionable in my mind, but he went out tonight and did what he had to do,” Jone said of his starting goaltender. “He’s had some struggles of late, so that’s obviously a confidence builder.”

Overall, Jones said he was pleased with his team’s performance and noted an improvement to the defence which, reminiscent of last year’s club, was completely locked down in the final period to protect their lead.

“We spent a little more detail on trying to hold the blue line a bit more and make teams dump it in,” Jones said.

Jones was also impressed with the play of Manchurek, who currently leads the Gens with 15 goals.

“At the Christmas break, if someone would have told me that Joe Manchurek would have been my leading scorer with the supporting cast around him I would have said I don’t know, but he’s certainly worked hard and he’s more than capable of playing up there and it’s a credit to him.”

The win over the Wolves improves Oshawa’s record to 13-17-3-2.

The OHL breaks until after Christmas, when things pick up again on Dec. 28. Oshawa, however, has a couple extra days off to prepare to host the conference-leading Kingston Frontenacs on Dec. 30 at the General Motors Centre.