FRONTS EDGE GENERALS 2-1
KINGSTON — All the scoring Kingston needed against the Oshawa Generals was done in the second period as the Frontenacs edged the Generals 2-1 in front of a soldout crowd of 5,416 Friday night at the Rogers K-Rock Centre.
With the win Kingston (31-27-5-3) takes the season series against Oshawa with six wins, including shootout and overtime wins, in eight games.
Oshawa (50-11-2-4) has four regulation losses to Kingston this season but has lost only seven other times in regulation to the rest of the Ontario Hockey League.
Kingston was 1-for-6 on power plays with a shorthanded goal, while Oshawa was 1-for-8.
Generals big forward Michael McCarron, a Montreal Canadiens draft pick, took three of Oshawa’s six penalties.
Win or lose Friday night, neither team could move up or down in the standings.
Oshawa holds the top spot in the Eastern Conference while Kingston will finish sixth.
But proceedings 500 kilometres northwest of Kingston decided who the Frontenacs will play in the first round.
The North Bay Battalion defeated the Mississauga Steelheads 6-3 Friday night, clinching third in the conference.
Kingston will open the playoffs late next week in North Bay.
But the teams will first meet Saturday night in North Bay for a playoff preview.
After Friday’s game Frontenacs coach Paul McFarland said the team assumed the Battalion would be their first-round opponents.
“Like we’ve said a bunch of times, we’re just worried about how we play right now and improving our own game and trying to get it as ready as possible for the first round,” he said after a photo session with billet families.
The Frontenacs had a fairly easy time with the Battalion last Saturday night in Kingston. The ‘troops’ didn’t put up much of a battle, losing 6-0.
But McFarland expects more from a defensive-minded Stan Butler-coached team.
“North Bay is a big, strong team, they play with a lot of structure and they’re the defending Eastern Conference champions from last year so it’s not going to be an easy series.”
McFarland, who was an assistant coach on Oshawa last year, knows firsthand how the Battalion compete in the playoffs, sweeping the Generals in the conference final last season.
“Stan’s teams are always great defensively, they work hard every night and they’re usually big and strong so it’s not going to be an easy task.”
The key to the series, said McFarland, will be power-play and penalty-kill success.
“Both teams work hard away from the puck. The difference in any playoff series is usually special teams so we’re going to have to make sure we’re sharp in both areas.”
McFarland said he plans to rest certain players for the last two games of the regular season, including Sunday afternoon’s game with the Barrie Colts.
“We’re just going to go day to day. Right now we haven’t put too much thought into it, we’ll talk about it (Saturday) as who’s going to play and who’s not going to play.
“We’re going to try to rest a few guys each game just to make sure that we’re 100% healthy for the playoffs.”
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