Oshawa Generals on brink of OHL playoff exit after Wright ignites Kingston
Published April 28, 2022 at 9:24 pm
Shane Wright came alive, and now the Oshawa Generals are on their last leg in the OHL playoffs.
Goalless through 11 periods of playoff hockey, the top NHL draft prospect unknotted a tight game with his first goal of the postseason to put the Kingston Frontenacs ahead to stay against the Generals at Tribute Communities Centre on Thursday. Wright proceeded to assist on two more third-period tallies, pointing Kingston to a 6-2 win that puts the Generals in a 3-1 hole in the best-of-seven first-round series. The Generals, who need to win three games in a row, will try to restart the comeback in Game 5 at the Leon’s Centre in Kingston at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Pickering native Paul Ludwinski scored two goals for Kingston, giving him five in four playoff games. Ludwinski had 16 goals and 43 points across 67 regular-season games as a 17-year-old rookie. So far in the playoffs, he has also helped his linemate, Philadephia Flyers forward prospect Zayde Wisdom, grab the early scoring lead with 10 points, including four on Thursday.
The Generals finished 20 points and three places adrift of Wright-led Kingston in the Eastern Conference standings during the regular season. But the series had been a home-team affair through three games, with the Generals getting off the deck with a three-goal third-period comeback for a 4-3 win in Game 3 on Tuesday.
This time around, power-play goals from Boston Bruins draft choice Brett Harrison and Ty Tullio pulled the Generals level at 2-2 through the first two periods.
The third, though, belonged to Wright and his linemates, Martin Chromiak and Lucas Edmonds, who ignited Kingston to score four consecutive goals in the first 7½ minutes. At 3:19 of the third, Wright snapped in the game-winning goal on a feed from Edmonds.
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Kingston earned its first power play of the night less than two minutes later. Wright drew the primary assist on a goal Wisdom. Edmonds and Ludwinski then tallied to put the Generals in a four-goal hole.
Wright and Edmonds each had three points. Kingston goalie Leevi Meriläinen, an Ottawa Senators draft choice, saved 31-of-33 shots. Generals goalie Patrick Leaver saved 30-of-36.
The Generals power play was 2-for-3. The Frontenacs were 1-for-2.
If the Generals can win on Saturday to bring the series back to Oshawa, Game 6 would be at 7:05 p.m. on Sunday.
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