Bender gets first OHL win in 4-1 victory over Sting
Oshawa, Ont., – Fresh off a big 6-3 win over the Windsor Spitfires, the Generals wrapped up their season-long five-game road trip with an afternoon visit to the Sarnia Sting.
Coming to the Progressive Auto Sales Arena, the Generals have found a lot of success, coming out victorious in their last three visits, while the Sting share the same record in their last three visits to Oshawa.
The Generals had one of their best starts to a game this season, as just 75 seconds into the game, Minnesota Wild prospect Rasmus Kumpulainen beat the Sting netminder for a 1-0 lead. Kumpulainen’s 14th of the season leaps over Matthew Buckley for the team lead in goal. Spoiler alert: it wouldn’t stay that way.
Just 29 seconds later, Matthew Buckley scored his 14th of the season on the Generals’ second shot of the game, to give the visitors a 2-0 lead. Just as quickly as he was jumped for the team lead, the Ottawa native joined his teammate back at the top with 14 goals a piece.
The game quickly took on the storyline of next goal wins, as on the very next shift, the Sting’s Kai Schwindt scored on the home side’s very first shot to cut the lead in half.
After quick starts from both squads, neither team could find any more offense, so the Generals head to room up 2-1 despite getting outshot 9-8 by the Sting.
During the second period, the Generals found themselves in penalty trouble, needing to kill multiple penalties off in succession. With the momentum on the Sting’s side, it wasn’t until halfway through the frame the Generals got a shot. To their credit, the Generals did kill of both penalties and were able to keep a lot of Sarnia’s shots to the outside.
A few minutes after getting their first shot of the period, a point shot from Ben Danford was tipped home by hot-stick Connor Lockhart. Lockhart’s first of the day gave the Gens a 3-1 lead and his fourth goal in 24 hours.
With 4:46 remaining in the second period, the Generals were finally awarded a power play chance, after a Sarnia high-sticking penalty. The Gens spent most of the two-minute power play in the Sting zone but were unable to find their fourth goal of the game. After 40 minutes, the Generals continued to lead 3-1 but were starting to fall behind in the shot clock 17-14.
The third period was one where the Generals did everything they could to defend the lead – and it started to show in puck possession. The Sting continued to throw everything they could at Bender, but after their first shot, couldn’t beat him again.
The Generals found an insurance marker of the stick of Luke Torrance, who scored his ninth goal of the season to give Oshawa the 4-1 lead.
Oshawa would hold on in the dying minutes, winning their second game in a row, and sweeping the weekend. Noah Bender stopped 26 of the 27 shots he faced for his first OHL win. The Generals will return home on Wednesday, December 13th to take on the Central Division-leading Mississauga Steelheads.
