Colts Cruise Past Generals
The Colts welcomed the Oshawa Generals to the Barrie Molson Centre for a Thursday night tilt with the reigning Memorial Cup champions. The two squared off last Friday in Oshawa where the Colts rallied from a 2 goal deficit with 5 unanswered goals in the third to beat the Generals 6-3. Andrew Mangiapane recorded a hat-trick, which included the game winner, while Dylan Sadowy also had a three point night registering two goals an assist.
The Colts controlled play early in the first as they used the cycle to open up space in the middle of the ice to generate some great scoring chances. However, Oshawa starting goaltender Jeremy Brodeur was up for the task as he stopped everything directed towards him to keep the game tied at 0-0. Both Brodeur and Mackenzie Blackwood would turn aside everything as the first came to a close scoreless with the Colts out-shooting the Generals 9-6 in the period.
The second period saw more of the same as the Colts came out firing on all cylinders in their attempt to take the early lead but once again Jeremy Brodeur came up with some timely saves for the Generals to keep the Colts from taking the lead. On the other side, Blackwood did his part to keep Oshawa from finding the score sheet as he countered Brodeur with some beautiful saves of his own to keep it deadlocked at zeroes.
It would be the Colts who would finally open the scoring with just under 7 minutes remaining in the period. Following a poorly timed line change from the Generals, Kevin Labanc would fire a lead pass to Andrew Mangiapane who wired a half slapshot bar down on Brodeur for his 31st goal of the year as Labanc and Michael Webster recorded assists on the tally.
The Colts’ struck again 3 minutes after Mangiapane to take the 2-0 lead. Moments after killing off a Giordano Finoro penalty for tripping, Sadowy would tip the puck to Labanc who would send a saucer pass to Finoro would make no mistake finishing on the pass. The goal would be Finoro’s 2nd of the year as Sadowy and Labanc received the assists.
The Colts would enter the third up two, and shots through two periods were 25-16 in favour of the Colts.
Barrie would extend their lead to 3-0 halfway through the third period. As Anthony Stefano drove to the net, his shot would draw iron and lay behind Brodeur where a trailing Cordell James would clean up the rebound. The goal was James’ 15th of the year as Stefano and Keigan Goetz would get the assists on the marker.
Barrie would make it 4-0 just 1:29 after James as Dylan Sadowy would extend his streak of consecutive games with a goal to 8 with a shorthanded marker. After Kevin Labanc was sent off for slashing, Sadowy would find himself behind the Oshawa defence as he buried one over the glove of Brodeur for his 32nd of the season. Justin Scott and Michael Webster recorded assist on Sadowy’s tally.
The Generals would break up Blackwood’s shutout opportunity with 3:33 left in the game. Joe Manchurek would deflect Mitchell Vande Sompel’s point shot by Blackwood for his 17th goal of the year, while Riley Stillman registered the secondary assist.
The Generals’ would not be able to create much more following their goal as Mackenzie Blackwood would shut the door the rest of the way as he stopped 25 of 26 shots for his 19th win of the season. Sadowy’s marker was his 12th in 9 games as a Colt. His 8 straight games with a goal is now the season’s longest streak as he passed Kevin Labanc and London forward Mitch Marner for that honour.
Barrie next plays on Saturday night as they host the Mississauga Steelheads in a Central Division showdown. Get your tickets now by visiting BMC Box Office or going to www.ticketbreak.com
