Game Preview: Kingston Frontenacs at Oshawa Generals

The Kingston Frontenacs (1-0-0-0) hit the road for the first time this season. The team will face the Oshawa Generals (1-0-0-1) at the Tribute Communities Centre starting at 6:05 pm. The last time these two teams went head-to-head was during the 2022 OHL Playoffs, which saw Kingston claim a 4-2 series win.

Kingston opened their season with a 3-1 win on Friday night versus the Erie Otters and they will look to bring that momentum into Oshawa. The Black and Gold held a 7-2-2-1 record against their 2022 first-round playoff opponent before a six-game series clinching win in Oshawa saw Shane Wright score the overtime winner.

Oshawa has played twice this season and they enter today’s action coming off a wild 7-6 shootout loss to the Ottawa 67’s on Friday, September 30th. A lower-scoring 2-1 win over the Barrie Colts opened their campaign, with this evening’s matchup marking the third game in four days for the Gens.

Rookie skaters Linus Hemström (1G), Gabriel Frasca (1A), and Jacob Battaglia (1A) recorded their first career OHL points in the Fronts season/home opening win over Erie. 2022 CHL Import Draft selection Ivan Zhigalov made his first appearance in the OHL after playing in the QMJHL last season. He made 31 saves on 32 shots to earn his first OHL win.

 

Generally Speaking

Always a tough building for Kingston, the Gens will have extra incentive looking to exact some revenge for ending their 2021-22 season. Oshawa has a 12-5-0-1 record against the Fronts at Tribute Communities Centre over the past five seasons. Gens sophomore forward Calum Ritchie (ranked Top-10 for 2023 NHL Draft) has a pair of points to start the season and will be a key focus for Kingston to shut down. Calum had seven points (4G,3A) last year in the 12-game regular season series with Kingston. The talented forward had an offensive outburst in the post-season, which included four goals and seven points in six games versus Kingston. Ritchie has scored a goal in each of his last four games against the Fronts heading into today’s matchup.

 

Familiar Foes

Fronts forwards Gage Heyes, and Nathan Poole were teammates with Generals forward Luke Torrance for the Oshawa Generals U16 squad in 2019-20. Heyes scored the game-winning goal against his hometown team with an early third-period marker in Game 2 of the first-round series against Oshawa last spring. The Black and Gold’s forward duo of Matthew Soto and Owen Outwater played alongside Gens forward Calum Ritchie with the Oakville Rangers.

 

On The Dot

Frontenacs centre Nathan Poole has been great in the faceoff circle, providing an advantage for Luca Caputi, especially in the defence zone. During the 2021-22 season, the then-rookie won 209 of 415 (50.3%) draws. The forward went 8-for-15 (53.3%) during the Fronts 2022 playoff run. The second-year pivot was 45/70 in preseason for an impressive 64.2% win percentage and he opened the 2022-23 season taking 11 of 18 faceoffs against the Otters.

 

Special Teams:

Powerplays

KGN – 0% 0/2 (T-10^th Eastern Conf / T-15^th OHL)

OSH – 40% 2/5 (3^rd Eastern Conf /6^th OHL)

 

Penalty Kill

KGN – 100%  3/3 (T-1^st Eastern Conf / T-1^st  OHL)

OSH – 50%  3/6 (T-10^th Eastern Conf / T-17^th OHL)

 

 Fronts Notes:

• Shane Wright (SEA), Paul Ludwinski (CHI) and Ben Roger (OTT) remain at NHL camps.
• F Jacob Battaglia, F Gabriel Frasca, F Linus Hemstrom and G Ivan Zhigalov made their OHL debuts in Friday’s season opening 3-1 win over Erie.
• Braden Hache, Alec Belanger, and Jake Murray represented the team as alternate captains in the home opener.

 

Team Stat Pack – GP (1)

(1-0-0-0) 2 pts (T-3^rd East Division / T-4^th Eastern Conf / T-6^th OHL

 

Leaders:

Goals – Stewart, Hughes, Hemström (1)

Assists – Thibodeau, Battaglia, Frasca, Soto, (1)

Points – Hughes, Thibodeau, Stewart, Battaglia, Frasca, Hemström (1)

Rookie Points – Battaglia, Frasca, Hemström (1)

SOG – Thibodeau (3) Stewart, Soto, Hemström, Hughes (2)

PIMs – Hache (5), Stewart, Frasca, Hemström (2)

 

On The Front

Be a part of the Kingston Frontenacs’ 1970s theme night as the Fronts take on the North Bay Battalion on October 7th, 2022. The night will feature hits from the past and tributes to the 1970s Kingston Canadians era.

The double-dip weekend is followed by a Sunday afternoon affair. The Frontenacs will host the Kitchener Rangers on October 9 at 2:00 pm in a Sunday Funday event. There will be family fun activities on the main concourse an the doors open at 1:00pm.

96.3 Big FM and 104.3 Fresh Radio are your exclusive home for play by play with Jim Gilchrist and Kingston Frontenacs Hockey! Fans can listen live to all the games at https://frontenacs.leanplayer.com/

Fans can also follow the team’s social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and IG for live updates.

All home game tickets are available online at www.ticketmaster.ca or by visiting the Leon’s Centre box office at 1 The Tragically Hip Way. The box office is open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00am until 5:00pm and 2 hours before puck drop on home game days. Group tickets, Flex Packs and season ticket memberships are available at www.kingstonfrontenacs.com.