Gens Shutout Petes in Rivalry Week Rematch

OSHAWA, ON. – The Oshawa Generals took down the Peterborough Petes 5-0 Friday night at the Tribute Communities Centre.

This edition of the oldest rivalry in junior hockey was the second half of a home-and-home with the Petes beating Oshawa 5-4 in overtime on Thursday night.

For the second half of the back-to-back, the Generals turned to Matthew Humphries for his sixth start of the season. Humphries was coming off an impressive 20-save performance in a difficult 2-1 loss against the Kitchener Rangers.

The Petes turned to Matthew Korpowski to start his second game in as many nights after putting up 28 stops in Peterborough’s 5-4 overtime victory over the Gens on Thursday night.

First Period

The physicality from the first half of the home-and-home carried over to the first period Friday night. With the physicality came an abundance of penalties, with nine penalties being called in the opening frame.

Oshawa went 0/3 on the power play in the first period, but Peterborough did worse, going 0/2 and allowing the only goal of the period while on the power play.

After the Petes coughed up the puck along the boards in the neutral zone, it popped out to Linus Funck, who turned it into a two-on-one with his defensive partner Leo Laschon. Funck looked off Laschon before firing it past Koprowski’s glove to give the Gens the lead just over halfway through the first period.

That was Funck’s first shorthanded goal of his OHL Career.

The Petes didn’t generate much after Funck’s snipe, and we headed into the intermission with the Gens leading 1-0.

Second Period

The Gens continued the momentum through the second period, extending their lead.

After a good puck battle behind the net, Jacob Thierren found Tyler Hinde in front of the net. Hinde was stopped by Korpowski on his first attempt, but Hinde stuck with it before banging the puck off the goaltender’s leg and into the net.

That gave Hinde his team-leading fifth goal of the season and Thierren’s first point as an Oshawa General.

The Petes couldn’t generate much during the second period, but Humphries was solid when called upon, maintaining the two-goal lead.

With under three minutes to go in the second period, Kane Cloutier took advantage of a fortunate bounce. As the puck was sliding into the corner, Cloutier threw it out in front, which banked off of Matthew Perreault’s skate, through Koprowski’s legs and into the back of the net.

The fortunate bounce gave Cloutier his third goal of the season and his first goal in 11 games.

Cloutier’s goal coming in the dying minutes of the second period gave the Petes little time to answer, and the Gens went into the final 20 minutes of play up three goals.

Third Period

The Gens headed into the third period on Thursday night up a goal but couldn’t find a way to close the game out. Friday night was a completely different story.

Oshawa kept their foot on the gas, keeping Peterborough from generating any high-danger scoring opportunities and then added onto their lead.

The defence has struggled to generate offence this season for the Generals, but tonight they scored two of the five goals.

Early into the third period, Caden Taylor flipped a pass through the air across the neutral zone that Anthony Timmerman did a fantastic job controlling. After batting the puck out of the air and around the Petes defenceman, Timmerman found himself on a two-on-one and fired it through Korpowski for his first goal of the season.

The Gens didn’t stop scoring; this time it was Therrien scoring his first as a General, and it was a highlight-reel goal.

After taking the pass from Aiden O’Donnell, Therrien carried the puck to the front of the net where he found himself all alone before putting the stick between his legs and firing it into the roof of the net.

The highlight-reel goal allowed the Generals to coast through the dying minutes to a 5-0 victory over the arch-rival Petes.

​Game Notes

This was the Gens’ most complete effort this season. Peterborough couldn’t generate any significant chances, but Humphries was there when needed and earned his first career OHL shutout with 30 stops.

Another thing that was very encouraging is Oshawa finding the back of the net five times tonight. That gives the Gens nine goals in the last two games after struggling to find offence throughout the season.

This win means Oshawa leapfrogs the Petes for fourth in the Eastern Division with just a single point separating the two teams.

The next game for the Generals will be at home on Sunday night against the Sudbury Wolves. Puck drop for that matchup will be at 6:05 PM, and you can get your tickets here!