SmartStop Post-Game Recap — Steelheads Fall 1 Game Short of a Weekend Sweep in Oshawa

OSHAWA, ON – This road matchup marked the Steelheads’ third game of a three game stretch facing the Oshawa Generals for the second consecutive evening.

Heading into this game, the stakes were high as Brampton sat only 4 points behind Sudbury for the 8th and final playoff spot in the OHL.

Fresh off their 2-1 victory the night before, Brampton kicked off at a high tempo as the two teams clashed along the boards. Both teams exchanged shots in the slot before Vadim Smirnov opened the scoring for the Generals at 15:57.

The Steelheads headed to the powerplay at the 13:45 mark on a boarding call, only managing one shot against the Generals’ aggressive penalty kill.

Coming off a solid performance in the previous game, Zach Bowen remained busy, flashing his glove on a high-quality shot by the Generals to keep the Steelheads in it.

At 6:28, Steelheads’ forward Keaton Ardagh tied it up with a drag-and-release wristshot, levelling the game at 1-1. This marked Ardagh’s third goal in four games against Oshawa this season.

Oshawa responded with 1:43 left in the first period when Leo Laschon scored his second goal as a General, going back door to make it 2-1.

The game remained feisty with players finding themselves in the middle of post-whistle scrums as tensions grew between the two familiar teams. As a result, Brampton went to the powerplay with 8.3 seconds left and Julian DeMiglio scored a sneaky, turn-around shot with 1.6 seconds remaining in the first period.

The score was tied 2-2 heading into the first intermission. The shots remained close at 9 to 10 in favour of the Generals, with the Steelheads going 1 for 2 on their powerplay chances.

Brampton kicked off the second period with good offensive-zone pressure before being dealt a penalty. Manuel Amado headed to the box at 13:44 for slashing, but the Steelhead’s penalty kill held off the Generals.

At 8:01, the Steelheads were handed their third powerplay of the game on a tripping call, but could not capitalize on the man advantage. The game progressed as both teams played a tight-knit game, exchanging chances at both ends.

With 47.7 seconds left however, Justin Bottineau scored on another turn-around, spin shot to give the Steelheads their first lead of the night and make the score 3-2. This marked Bottineau’s 200th OHL career game.

Brampton grabbed the lead heading into the second intermission, also leading in shots, 18-15.

Early in the third period, DeMiglio was dealt a penalty at 16:06, sending the Generals to the powerplay. They failed to capitalize on Bowen, who made a handful of key saves to protect their lead.

The Steelheads continued their physical game throughout the third.

At 6:23, it was back to the power-play for the Generals as Brampton was assessed a high-sticking penalty. Their man advantage was cut short however at 5:02, as Troy Patton was hooked while trying to clear the zone.

On the resulting 4-on-4, Generals’ forward Tyler Hinde scored his first career OHL goal at 4:40, tying up the game once again. The rookie cleaned up a scramble play right in front of the net.

Towards the end of the eventual Steelheads’ powerplay, the Generals managed a handful of high-danger chances while short-handed, only to be stopped once again by Bowen.

The game would need overtime with the shots at 36 to 24 in favour of Oshawa. The Steelheads were 0-4 in overtime on the season so far.

Disaster struck early at 4:39 into overtime when DeMiglio was dealt a slashing penalty, sending Brampton to the penalty kill.

Generals’ forward Brooks Rogowski would score the eventual game-winning goal with a shot through traffic, evening up the season-series against the Steelheads. Oshawa won it 4-3.

The Brampton Steelheads will look to get back in the win column when they return to the CAA Centre next Friday, February 6, at 7:00 pm against the visiting Barrie Colts.

Click the link below to get your tickets now!
https://www.ticketmaster.ca/brampton-steelheads-vs-barrie-colts-brampton-ontario-02-06-2026/event/1000631AC6132BBD

Three Stars of the Game:
1. Hinde (1G)
2. Amidovski (2 A)
3. Laschon (1G)

Shots on Goal:
OSH 37 / BRAM 24