Oshawa Generals, 8-3 in last 11, trending in right direction heading to second half of season
Published January 29, 2024 at 11:10 am
A pair of extra time 3-2 losses to close out the weekend has not put a damper on the red-hot start to 2024 for the Oshawa Generals, who have gone 8-3 in the last 11 games to move into second place in the OHL’s East Division.
The team has outscored the opposition 56-24 in that span, thanks in large part to Colorado Avalanche draft pick Calum Ritchie who, after a late start to the season while rehabbing an injury, has 47 points in just 28 games.
Ritchie scored in Sunday’s overtime loss to Ottawa, who sits three points back of Oshawa. The Generals are six back of Brantford for the division lead, the only team to beat the Generals in regulation during their January surge.
Jacob Oster
Goaltending has figured prominently as well. Backup Noah Bender, who broke Clarington hearts last year when he led his Wellesley Applejacks to Schmaltz Cup provincial Jr C title, had 39 saves in the shootout loss to Barrie (including four in ten seconds to close out the first period) to salvage a point for the Generals and #1 Jacob Oster has already been named goaltender of the week in the league three times this year.
Balanced scoring helps too. Oshawa has just three players in the OHL’s top 50 but has ten players with 30 or more points already and plenty of young talent, sending a CHL-high three players to last week’s Top Prospects game.
Next up for the team is a date in Peterborough Thursday with the arch-rival Petes, who were thrashed 7-1 by the Generals January 19.
Videos
Oshawa D-man Ben Danford, a member of the winning Team Red side, scored during last week’s Top Prospects game