Generals bury Greyhounds in Friday night overtime
Oshawa, Ont. – The Oshawa Generals travelled for their lone game this season held at the GFL Memorial Gardens in Sault Ste. Marie, and took home the two extra points.
Noah Bender made 32 saves from 35 shots while on the other end, Charlie Schenkel stopped 25.
4:06 into the first, the Greyhounds opened the scoring after a Generals penalty caused for a double-minor high sticking. A simple but effective east-to-west pass by Jack Beck had Bender bite and slide out of position when it was Gavin Hayes who sent it to the back of the net to gain his 33rd of the season.
New York Rangers prospect Dylan Roobroeck saved Oshawa from a scoreless first frame after grabbing his 17th of the season with just under four minutes of the period remaining. A neutral zone turnover allowed for a two-on-one with Roobroeck and Tristan Delisle when Roobroeck attempted the pass in front but was saved by Schenkel, which sent a deflection straight to Roobroeck’s stick and immediately into the Greyhounds mesh.
Hayes was sure to make his mark on this game after just 5:11 into the second, Brady Martin gained the zone and got the shot off, but Bender did not have the puck fully and it was Hayes who knocked it home and regained the lead 2-1.
The Generals answered almost immediately after Colorado Avalanche prospect Cal Ritchie gained his 21st of the season. Roobroeck entered the zone with an eye out for Luca D’Amato who then sent a centring pass in front for Ritchie who got the puck past Schenkel off of his own rebound.
The Greyhounds dynamic duo of Beck and Hayes was back again to secure their lead with less than a minute after Ritchie tied it at two. What was meant to be a zone-clearing rocket by the Generals, was stopped by Beck, who sent it straight to Hayes who beat Bender stick side and left the midway mark of the game 3-2.
13:53 remaining in the final frame, the Generals crashed the net and Kumpulainen pushed the puck past the pad of Schenkel, which led three Gens to raise their arms up to celebrate. The play was called no goal initially but after a whistle the referees took a timely review to ultimately deem the goal as no goal, unfortunately keeping the score at 3-2 in favour of the Greyhounds.
That hiccup didn’t stop the Minnesota Wild prospect when with two and a half minutes left of regulation the Greyhounds had a turnover and Kumpulainen sent the shot straight to the back of the net and pushed the game to the extended frame.
A simple seven seconds into overtime and right off of the draw, the Generals gained possession when Beckett Sennecke and Ritchie went full force into the Soo’s zone, with a Ritchie-Sennecke-Ritchie passing play, Ritchie sent the Generals home with the extra two points.
The Generals are back this Tuesday on home ice as they take on the Ottawa 67’s. Grab your tickets here!
