Ultimate Drivers Playoff Preview: GTA Goliaths
Keeping it Close
After a strong first year in Brampton, the Steelheads earned a playoff berth as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. They will not have to travel far in round one, as they cross the GTA to face the fourth-seeded Oshawa Generals. It will be a matchup of two of the top teams in the OHL, with a combined fifteen NHL-drafted prospects, as well as countless more draft-eligible’s this season. Round one will start in Oshawa on Friday and Sunday, before playoff hockey returns to Brampton next Tuesday and Thursday.
Stars out to Shine
The Steelheads’ first-round matchup will be a glimpse into the future for NHL fans. Both clubs sport an elite right-shot winger at the top of their lineup. For Oshawa, Beckett Sennecke rode a breakout season last year into a top-three NHL selection from the Anaheim Ducks. The elite puck handler leads the Generals in points this season with 86 in 56 games. For Brampton, Porter Martone continues to pave a record-breaking season, as he aims to join Sennecke at the top of the draft this June. The Steelheads will need to stay alert when Oshawa captain Ben Danford is on the ice. The Toronto Maple Leafs’ 2024 first-round selection uses his big frame and strength to punish opposing forwards. With other top prospects like Calum Ritchie, Carson Rehkopf, Luca Marrelli, Luke Misa, and Jack Ivankovic in the mix, it is bound to be an exciting series.
Conference Tale of the Tape
| Brampton | Oshawa | |
| Record | 36-22-10-0 | 41-21-4-2 |
| Points | 82 (5th) | 88 (4th) |
| Goals For | 298 (1st) | 261 (4th) |
| Goals Against | 240 (5th) | 218 (1st) |
| PP% | 21.1% (8th) | 23% (5th) |
| PK% | 76.6% (8th) | 79.9% (5th) |
Season Series
It was a tight matchup in the regular season, with the teams splitting the four-game season series two games apiece. Despite the vast amounts of talent on each side, it was a fairly low-scoring series with neither team eclipsing four goals in a game.
December 15th: Oshawa Generals take it 3-2
The first meeting came back in the middle of December when Brampton took a trip east to their cross-city rival. Both sides were shorthanded for this opening matchup as Brampton’s Porter Martone, Carson Rehkopf, Jack Ivankovic, Adam Zidlicky, and Jakub Fibigr, as well as Oshawa’s Calum Ritchie, were all attending World Junior training camps. Despite the firepower disadvantage, Brampton kept it close. Luke Misa opened the scoring on a rush in the first period before Luke Torrence and Beckett Sennecke swung the lead in the Generals’ favour. Jack Van Volsen answered back for the Steelheads in the final minute of the frame to tie the game at two. The game remained even until the third period when Ben Danford gave Oshawa a lead that they would not give up, as the Generals held on 3-2.
February 15th: Brampton Steelheads win 4-2
Two months later, the series returned to Oshawa for game two. This time, it was the Steelheads who came out on top. Mason Zebeski got Brampton up and running with an early deflection goal. The Trout power play doubled the lead when Porter Martone parked out front, deflecting Finn Harding’s shot upstairs. Less than two minutes later, Beckett Sennecke stormed up the ice with Calum Ritchie, where the Anaheim Ducks prospect wired one home to cut the lead in half. The Generals kept the pressure up, as three minutes later, Ben Danford jumped in from the point to fire home the equalizer. Action picked back up in the third period when rookie Troy Patton and Julian Demiglio stormed up ice. Patton’s pass to Demiglio on the backdoor was blocked, but the Steelheads caught a break as the puck deflected off the Generals’ defender and into the net. Patton’s marker served as the difference maker as Jack Van Volsen added an empty-netter
February 19th: Brampton wins 4-2
Four days after their 4-2 victory in Oshawa, the Steelheads returned home with another 4-2 triumph, on a record-breaking night for the Trout. Following a breakaway opportunity from Carson Rehkopf, Porter Martone found the puck, sending it to Konnor Smith at the blue line. The big rig blasted a shot on goal that beat Jacob Oster to give Brampton an early lead. With an assist on the goal, Porter Martone set a new franchise record for the most assists in a single season. Late in the second frame, the Generals tied the game with a strike for Luca D’Amato. The tie was short-lived, as less than a minute later, Adam Zidlicky stripped Jacob Oster behind the net before finding Jack Van Volsen for an easy tap-in. Brampton extended their lead to two when Angus MacDonell found Carson Rehkopf beside the goal for another easy tap-in. With over two minutes to play, Oshawa cut the lead in half when Luca D’Amato tallied his second of the night. That was as close as it got, as Angus MacDonell added an empty-netter to seal the deal.
March 5th: Oshawa prevails 4-0
In their final meeting, the Generals spoiled the school day with a shutout victory. Noah Powell opened the scoring just sixteen seconds in on a broken play. At the end of the period, Brooks Rogowski found a wide-open Owen Griffin in front to double the lead. The Generals added to their lead in the second period when the power play found Owen Griffin in the bumper for his second goal of the morning. In the third period, Oshawa scored their fourth and final goal of the morning when Noah Powell’s pass took a lucky hop into the Brampton net.
Keys to Victory:
Brampton:
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – After dealing with a multitude of injuries early in the season, Brampton made a run down the stretch. The Steelheads enter the post-season red hot, with a 16-3-2 in their last 21 games. A key reason for their stellar play as of late has been their lockdown penalty kill. Since game 36, the Steelheads have managed to kill off 88% of their penalties. If the Trout can disrupt the deadly Generals’ power play, they will have a good shot at stealing the series.
Dominant Depth – In a series with so many stars, the Steelheads will for their depth to give them the edge. Brampton has a luxury that every team strives for, the ability to roll all four lines, three D-pairs, and the ability to trust both goalies. Part of what makes the Trout’s depth so hard to deal with is their physicality. The likes of Mason Zebeski, Gabe Chiarot, and Kieran Witkowski constantly put pressure on the opposition’s backend, so the Generals will not have any easy shifts.
Oshawa:
Prototypical Power – The Generals flaunt an abundance of talent at forward, but it is their top line that stands out the most. All NHL first-round picks, Colby Barlow, Calum Ritchie, and Beckett Sennecke form an immaculate trio, filling every aspect you would want in from a line. Sennecke’s stick-handling and puck-carrying help them break into opposing teams’ zones, Calum Ritchie’s top-tier playmaking helps set up easy looks, while Colby Barlow’s dangerous release allows him to score from seemingly anywhere on the ice. When Oshawa needs a goal, they will look no further than their tremendous trio.
Backend Bruisers – With two of the top defensive defenceman in the league, Oshawa constantly punishes opponents in both open ice and along the boards. Captain Ben Danford held the lead shutdown role last season, earning himself a first-round selection from the hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. At the deadline, the Generals gave him some extra help with team Canada World Junior representative and Nashville Predators prospect Andrew Gibson. With two elite lockdown defenders, it is easy to see why Oshawa is so close to the lowest goals against.
Game 1: Friday, March 28, 7:05 p.m. @ Oshawa
Game 2: Sunday, March 30, 6:05 p.m. @ Oshawa
Game 3: Tuesday, April 1, 7:00 p.m. @ Brampton – Buy Tickets
Game 4: Thursday, April 3, 7:00 p.m. @ Brampton – Buy Tickets
* Game 5: Friday, April 4, 7:05 p.m. @ Oshawa
* Game 6: Sunday, April 6, 2:00 p.m. @ Brampton
* Game 7: Tuesday, April 8, 7:05 p.m. @ Oshawa
