Oshawa Opens Eastern Finals with Commanding 3-1 Victory Over Colts
Oshawa, ON — The Generals hit the road for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Barrie Colts. Oshawa rides into the matchup with a four-game win streak after taking down the Brantford Bulldogs in six, while Barrie needed seven games to shut down the Kingston Frontenacs. Both teams were hungry for an early lead, but it was the Oshawa Generals who sealed the deal, pulling out a 3-1 victory and taking a 1-0 series lead.
Both teams traded chances in a fast-paced first, with the Generals outshooting the Colts 14-8. But, goaltenders Jacob Oster and Sam Hillebrandt stood tall, keeping it scoreless heading into the first intermission.
The second period followed a similar pattern to the first, with both teams generating opportunities but no breakthroughs, until 15 minutes in. Owen Griffin opened the scoring with his 12th of the playoffs, assisted by Anaheim Ducks prospect Beckett Sennecke. Then, with just over a minute left, Matthew Buckley deflected a shot from Philadelphia Flyers prospect Noah Powell on the first power play of the game, giving the Generals a 2-0 lead heading into the final frame.
The third period saw Vancouver Canucks prospect Anthony Romani notch his 10th of the playoffs, cutting the Gens’ lead to 2-1 midway through the frame. But the Colts’ late push came up short, as New York Islanders prospect Calum Ritchie iced it with an empty-netter in the final minute, locking in a 3-1 win for Oshawa.
The Generals are back in Barrie for Game 2 on Sunday, April 27th at 6:00 p.m. Catch all the action live on Rogers TV, CHL TV, or tune into the Oshawa Generals Radio here. Games 3 and 4 return to the TCC, with puck drop on Tuesday, April 29th and Thursday, May 1st. Don’t miss out, secure your tickets here!
