Oshawa Generals clinch playoff spot Friday, rest stars for Sunday’s 10-2 beatdown

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Published March 27, 2023 at 11:58 am

Both Jacob Oster (who celebrated his 18th birthday) and Carter Bickle had their hands full with Kingston's forwards Sunday night. Photo by Kalvin Taylor, Goodall Media

Everything came up roses for the Oshawa Generals Friday night as the club got two goals from Cameron Butler to beat Mississauga 3-2 and watched Kingston Frontenacs squander a 2-0 lead to lose 5-2 to Barrie, handing the final playoff spot to Oshawa in the process.

With the important part of the weekend out of the way, Sunday’s match with Kingston, which would have had massive playoff implications should Friday’s results have gone in a different direction, became meaningless and the final outcome – 10-2 shellacking at the hands of the Frontenacs, reflected that.

Star forward Calum Ritchie, who returned from an eight-game absence with an upper body injury to assist on Ryan Gagnier’s game-winning goal Friday night, was rested Sunday and most of the team’s other top players saw limited action.

The unmotivated Generals came out flat and handed the puck away to Kingston on too many occasions to allow the Frontenacs to race out to a 5-0 lead and after Oshawa rookie Beckett Sennecke scored his first of two in the game, scored five more before Sennecke’s 20th of the season put a merciful end to the scoring.

Sennecke’s two goals capped an impressive rookie campaign for the 17 year-old product of the Toronto Marlboro organization as the right winger added 35 assists to his 20 goals for a 55-point season.

Ethan Miedema, who torched the Generals for four goals last week to give Kingston hope for a playoff spot, led the Frontenacs again with two goals and three points and Matthew Soto had a pair of goals as well.

Oshawa will start their first round playoff series Thursday in Gatineau, Quebec against the league’s top team, the 107-point Ottawa Senators. Games three and four in Oshawa will be March 15 and 17. Tickets are available at the box office and via the Tribute Communities Centre website.

Gagnier led the Generals in scoring this year with 69 points while Matthew Maggio of the Windsor Spitfires led the OHL in both goals (54) and points (111). Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospect Ty Voight (Sarnia) finished second in scoring with 105 and led the league in assists with 81.

Beckett Sennecke trying to squeeze through a pair of Fronetacs. Photo by Kalvin Taylor, Goodall Media

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