Seventh win in a row vaults Oshawa Generals to top of division, #2 spot in OHL
Published March 11, 2024 at 3:24 pm
Make it seven in a row for the red-hot Oshawa Generals, who have turned a precarious playoff position in the new year into top spot in the East and the #2 ranking in the Ontario Hockey League by mid-March after making short work of the Barrie Colts Sunday night.
Wins over Barrie notwithstanding (the Colts were also the first victim of the Generals on their recent run), Oshawa has played giant-killer during their win streak, with wins over most of the league’s top clubs, including three roads wins last weekend with two of the wins – vs London and SS Marie – coming against teams ranked 1-2 at the time.
Those wins vaulted the team six spots in the rankings to #3 and the Generals followed those results with a mid-week win over rival Ottawa, a Friday night road win in Brantford to grab the division lead over the Bulldogs and Sunday’s 5-1 home win against Barrie to move up to the #2 spot, behind only Saginaw.
Here’s what the OHL had to say in their weekly Power Rankings report:
Oshawa Generals – up one spot to #2 this week
The climb continues for the Oshawa Generals, who won three more games last week with victories over Eastern Conference opponents in Ottawa, Brantford and Barrie. The Generals’ winning streak has reached seven games as they enter the week in first place in the conference. New York Rangers prospect Dylan Roobroeck has been a force since the beginning of March, recording 12 points (5-7–12) over five contests while Calum Ritchie (5-4–9) and Beckett Sennecke (3-6–9) each have nine.
Roobroeck had a four-point night Friday against Brantford while Ritchie had two assists – none prettier than when he undressed Brantford defenceman Noah Roberts (Uxbridge) before feeding Sennecke for an easy tap in the 6-4 victory. Both Ritchie (a Colorado Avalanche first round pick) and Roobroeck picked up a goal and an assist Sunday vs Barrie.
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Ritchie got a late start to the year after rehabbing from off-season surgery but has been fire since joining the club in mid-November, with 73 points (25-48) in just 45 games.
Coupled with all-star goaltending from Jacob Oster and the Oshawa Generals are looking to be a dangerous side come playoff time.
The club has also navigated a public relations nightmare this season with the eight-game suspension of star overager Connor Lockhart, who was the was the subject of a police investigation for violating league code of conduct rules. The case was closed by Durham police and Lockhart was back in the lineup Feb. 17.
The club has gone 8-1 since then.
Generals’ legend and Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares was also in the building Sunday for a John Tavares Foundation funding announcement.
Oshawa is Mississauga Tuesday for a date with the Steelheads – who are also on a roll, with three wins on the weekend to move up to seventh in the OHL rankings – before a home game Friday against Sudbury.
The Generals wrap up the regular season against Sudbury March 24.
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