Oshawa Generals top league-leading 67s in OT to hang on to final playoff spot
Published February 27, 2023 at 12:05 pm
The Oshawa Generals started the weekend alone in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, but after a pair of losses Friday and Saturday and a pair of wins by the suddenly hot Sudbury Wolves the motor city club slipped to eighth with the league’s best team coming to town ready to add insult to injury.
But the Generals saved their best performance on the weekend for the end, besting the Ottawa 67s 5-4 in overtime after Dylan Roobroek took a cross crease feed from Calum Ritchie to bury the game winner.
The win was Oshawa’s first over Ottawa in six tries this season and pushed the Generals three points clear of the free-falling Kingston Frontenacs, who lost all three games on the weekend and have now dropping seven straight.
Sudbury, meanwhile, continued their hot hand with a 3-1 win over Hamilton to stay two points clear of Oshawa in seventh.
Carter Bickle had to be sharp in goal for Oshawa Sunday, stopping 41 of 46 shots, with Ottawa coming on especially strong in the third, scoring two to force overtime, including the tying goal in the final minute.
Both teams had to stay disciplined in what was a chippy affair. Overtime heroes Roobroek and Ritchie had 15 minutes in penalties between them, with Ritchie enjoying a three point evening (and a six-point weekend). Matthew Buckley scored twice for the winners – both short-handed – with Ryan Gagnier contributing a goal and an assist.
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Ritchie and Stuart Rolofs scored for Oshawa in their 5-2 loss to Peterborough on Pride Night Friday, with Jacob Oster facing 46 shots, while Ritchie, Gagnier and rookie David Bedkowski scored against Barrie Saturday. Barrie used a five-goal barrage in a 20-minute span, starting at 2:24 of the second period, to earn the victory.
Dylan Roobroek celebrates after scoring the overtime winner against the Ottawa 67s Sunday Photo Kalvin Taylor