The Fronts storm back to shock the Generals

Generally speaking, the Kingston Frontenacs (17-13-1-1) had a huge 7-5 comeback win over the Oshawa Generals (11-15-1-3) on Wednesday night at Tribute Communities Centre in the first game back in action after the holiday break. Down 4-0, the Black and Gold roared back with five unanswered goals taking a 5-4 lead and ultimately holding on for a two-goal 7-5 victory on a Paul Ludwinski game-winner with less then three minutes left. The Frontenacs have now won two of three matchups in the third consecutive game in Oshawa in the eight-game East Division regular season series.

Oshawa took advantage of the only first period powerplay and added a last-minute tally to take a 2-0 lead to the second period before adding a pair of goals 1:31 apart for a 4-0 lead midway through the game before the Kingston comeback.

Kingston replied with quick strike goals on a trio in just 1:26 late in the second period. Jackson Stewart, Gabriel Frasca, and Matthew Soto scored the three tallies in the last two minutes of the second frame setting up a one-goal deficit to open the third. Chris Thibodeau then scored for the second consecutive game tying it up just over three minutes into the final frame before second star Jacob Battaglia gave Kingston its first lead 5-4 midway through the third. After Oshawa tied the game 5-5 with less then five minutes remaining, Paul Ludwinski scored the game winner and Linus Hemstrom added an empty netter for the 7-5 final. Ludwinski, Battaglia, and Hemstrom all recorded multi point games.

Colorado Avalanche prospect Ivan Zhigalov made 12 saves on 16 shots faced in his 22^nd appearance in the Kingston net. Mason Vaccari came in relief in the second period for his 11^th appearance and stopped 11 of 12 shots to finish the game. Oshawa countered with veteran Patrick Leaver making his 26^th appearance, third against Kingston and saw 39 shots, making 34 saves.

The teams worked off holiday dinners in a tentative start with a majority of play between the bluelines. Kingston’s Maddox Callens made a nice deke around a Gens defender before testing Leaver’s glove off a rush on the best chance early in the game outshooting the hometeam 9-5 midway through the frame.

The Gens took advantage of their first powerplay to open the scoring 1-0, in just the 11^th game the Fronts have given up the first goal of a game all season. Chris Thibodeau was hit by Dylan Roobroeck in the Oshawa zone with Tommy Budnick and Roobroeck squaring off after the check. Budnick received an instigator defending his teammate against the much larger Oshawa defender setting up the man advantage.

Oshawa’s third best powerplay unit connected 35 seconds after the faceoff on a nice tip in front by third star Ryan Gagnier (10) after being setup on two quick passes by first star Beckett Sennecke and Brett Harrison. Gagnier’s first point of the game came at 13:07.

Zhigalov made a nice blocker save off a breakaway by the Gens’ Ryder McIntyre a couple minutes after the opening strike, but the homeside potted a tally late to take a 2-0 lead to the first intermission. The Gens went up the pair in the last minute when Sennecke (12) snapped home a loose puck in the crease after Stuart Rolofs and Gagnier assisted on a heavy forecheck to get the puck to the net. The rookie skaters’ second point of the period came at 19:11.

Zhigalov made a nice stop on Callum Ritchie keeping the score 2-0 with seconds left on a second nice blocker save sending Kingston to a second period with a 2-4-0-0 record when trailing after twenty minutes.

The Gens scored another pair after six consecutive Kingston shots. Sennecke got his third point of the game with an assist on a nifty set up to Jordan Ertel (3) alone in front of Zhigalov for the 3-0 goal at 7:43. The 4-0 tally came off a tight angle on a quick shot by Luca D’Amato (3) just 1:31 after the Ertel goal. Rookie Mason Vaccari came in relief of Zhigalov after the goal at 8:43 on the 16^th shot for Oshawa.

While Zhigalov cannot be blamed for the goals against, as the game could have gotten away early, the Fronts responded to the goalie change with four consecutive goals. Josh Currie had a breakaway stopped by Leaver, but Jackson Stewart (4) buried the rebound to get Kingston on the board with 1:56 left in the middle period in the first of three goals in the last two minutes of the second period.

One minute later, Gabriel Frasca (5) made it 4-2 after corralling a puck and banging it past Leaver with a second strike off a rebound, off a Quinton Burns shot at 19:04. Frasca had scored his first OHL goal in Oshawa back on Oct 2.

Just 26 seconds later, Matthew Soto (11) made it 4-3 with the third goal in 86 seconds of gametime, on a third consecutive rebound goal. After Linus Hemstrom fired a low shot on Leaver, the puck came to a waiting Soto with a ripped snapshot at 19:30 sending the teams to the third on a 4-3 Generals lead with Kingston scoring three times in 1:26.

Kingston scored a fourth straight goal 3:08 into the third when Chris Thibodeau (9) made a nice shot off the post making it a new game completing the four-goal comeback for a 4-4 score. The goal extended a point streak to five games (5G,1A) for Thibodeau and marked goals in four of his last five. Veteran forward Owen Outwater returned in his first game back from injury with an assist on the play with Braden Hache to spring Thibodeau.

Battaglia (5) had a breakaway stopped by Leaver after blocking a shot at the Fronts blueline but scored the 5-4 go-ahead goal after being setup by Maddox Callens to give Kingston its first lead going in alone on Leaver at 9:11 with his second point in the game.

Callum Ritchie (11) beat Vaccari low stick side from the slot after being setup on a drop pass while on the second Oshawa powerplay of the game for the 5-5 tally. Sennecke earned a third pint with an assist.

With 3:10 left in the game, Kingston went to its first powerplay and Paul Ludwinski (6) used his speed to collect a puck off the end boards and give the lead back to Kingston with a quick one-timed snap-shot. The 6-5 goal was the first powerplay goal on the season in eight chances against the Gens.

Leaver to bench 1:40 left for the extra skater and called a timeout with an offensive zone faceoff with 42 seconds left but Hemstrom (8) wrapped up the scoring with an empty netter for the 7-5 win and Ludwinski earning a third point with an assist. Kingston improves to 4-8-0-1 when trailing after forty minutes.

 

Scorers:

KGN: Stewart (4), Frasca (5), Soto (11), Thibodeau (9), Battaglia (5), Ludwinski (6), Hemstrom (8)

OSH: Gagnier (10), Sennecke (12), Ertel (3), D’Amato (3), Ritchie (11)

 

Powerplays:

KGN: (1/1)

OSH: (2/2)

 

BMW of Kingston Hardest Worker:

Tommy Budnick

 

Three Star Awards:

1. Paul Ludwinski
2. Chris Thibodeau
3. Jacob Battaglia

 

Fronts Notes:

• On Nov 23, Frontenacs Hockey Club officially announced its bid for rights to host the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Kia
• Luca Caputi coached his 100th career OHL game as the head coach of the Kingston Frontenacs.
• Brooks Taylor (Equipment Manager) was behind the bench for his 100th career OHL game tonight
• F Jacob Battaglia – pts in 4 of last 5 (3G,3A)
• F Owen Outwater – returned from injury (out since Dec 2) – 1A
• F Matthew Soto – extends to 4 gm streak (2G,2A) – pts in 7 of 9 (4G,6A)
• F Gabriel Frasca – pts in last 3 of 4 gms (1G,4A)
• F Chris Thibodeau – extends to 5 gm pt streak (6G,1A)

• F Paul Ludwinski (CHI) –pts in 6 of last 7 gms (5G,4A)
• D Quinton Burns – extends to 4 gm pt streak (5A)

 

Team Stat Pack – GP (32) (17-13-1-1) 36 pts

Leaders:

Goals –Soto (11), Thibodeau (9), Hemström (8)

PPG – Ludwinski (4), Soto (3), Battaglia (2)

Assists – Burns (19), Soto, Hemström (18)

PPA – Hemstrom, Burns (9), Soto, Outwater (5)

Points –Soto (29), Hemstrom (26), Ludwinski, Outwater (22)

PPP –Burns (10), Hemstrom (9), Ludwinski, Soto (8)

SOG –Soto (61), Thibodeau (60), Outwater (55)

Plus/Minus – Outwater (+5), Burns, McGowan, Petreccia (+4)

PIMs – Burns (63), Haché (46), Budnick (44),

 

On The Front

The Fronts play a second consecutive road game in Ottawa versus the 67’s on Friday, December 30 at 2:00 pm. The next home game is the back half of a home-and-home with Ottawa on January 1, 2023, at 4:00 pm at Leon’s Centre for the Next Gen Game. The game will celebrate the next generation of hockey stars, including young hockey players, fans and aspiring youth who want to work in the sports and entertainment industry!

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 tune into the game at https://watch.chl.ca/ (subscription needed).

Fans are encouraged to follow the team’s social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram 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 10:00 am until 5:00 pm and 2 hours before puck drop on home game days. Group tickets, Flex Packs and season ticket memberships are available at www.kingstonfrontenacs.com.