Gens win two in second three-game weekend

2015-03-03

By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express

For the second weekend in a row, the Oshawa Generals battled through back-to-back-to-back games and came out with a pair of wins. A success considering the absence of star goaltender Kenny Appleby, leading scorer Michael Dal Colle and Aiden Wallace, all sidelined with strep throat.

The weekend kicked off with the start of a home-and-home series with the Belleville Bulls and the Gens set the tone quickly, running over the visiting Bulls at the GM Centre with a final score of 8-4.

However, the Bulls were out for a little revenge on their home ice, defeating the Gens 4-1.

Returning home Sunday, Oshawa faced off in their third game of the weekend against the Peterborough Petes.

A physical match up that saw no player touch the puck without getting hit and Generals’ Brent Pedersen, a goal and an assit on the night, drop the gloves with the Petes’ Cameron Lizotte.

The Gens would come out on top in the battle, winning 4-1.

Head coach DJ Smith pushes the physical play and says it’s the way his team will play heading into the postseason, now only weeks away.

“That’s the way we’re going to play in a playoff series and if you’re going to beat us, it’s going to take a lot of grinding and a lot of bodies to do it,” he says.

Looking ahead, Smith says it’s hard to say at this point who the first round opponent will be for the Generals, who have already clinched their playoff spot, but suspected it could come down to Belleville or Peterborough. Either way, he says his team has to be prepared for whatever happens.

“Crazy things happen in the playoffs, and you’ve got to be ready for whoever it is,” he says.

Rookie goaltender Jeremy Brodeur had a couple of firsts over the weekend, including his first three-game weekend and his first OHL point, coming in the form of an assist in Sunday’s game.

“I thought my game could have been better throughout the weekend, but it was good to finish off on a good note,” he said.

Smith was also pleased with Brodeur’s performance, despite being a little shaky at the start.

“It’s tough coming into this league and win hockey games as a young goalie that hasn’t been in this experience before, and I thought he did a real good job tonight,” Smith said.

Also achieving milestones over the weekend were Bradley Latour, securing his 50^th OHL goal, Cole Cassels with his 200^th career point and Stephen Desrocher who played in his 100^th OHL game.

The Gens hit the road this weekend with games in Plymouth on Saturday in what could be the Gens’ last game in Plymouth before the Whalers move to Flint, Michigan next season, followed by Windsor on Sunday.