Reece Doumani / OHL in 60 Podcast
@reecedoumani / @ohlin60podcast
After taking the first two games in Barrie, the Generals looked to take full command of the series in front of a packed house in Oshawa, on the day it was announced that a 30-year extension to continue playing hockey at the Tribute Communities Centre was agreed upon, with multiple renovations taking place over the coming years.
The Barrie Colts would quiet the crowd at the Tribute Communities Centre early, much like the Generals did in game 2. It would take all of 2:20 for Riley Patterson to beat Jacob Oster upstairs to give the Colts a 1-0 lead. Gardiner and Tiller collected the assists on the games opening goal. Colby Barlow would get the fans back to their feet a few moments later as his shot from the right circle beat Sam Hillebrandt to tie the game at 1. Powell would collect the assist on Barlow’s 11th of the playoffs.
Anthony Romani would find himself behind the Oshawa defence and Dalyn Wakely would put it right on his stick from below the goal line and Romani made no mistake to put Barrie back on top. Owen Van Steensel also grabbed an assist on the goal. It would be 2-1 Colts at the 7:03 mark of the 1st. The scoring would continue as the Gens would grab a power play goal from Colby Barlow for his 2nd of the period to tie the game at 2. This goal would come from Ritchie and Marrelli with 7:46 to go in the first.
Scoring wasn’t done there. Brooks Rogowski would send a back hander upstairs from in tight on Hillebrandt to put Oshawa in front for the first time in the game. 3-2 Generals with 1:41 to play. Five shots would enter the back of the net in the first period with the Gens up by 1 on the scoresheet and leading on the shot clock 11-10.
The Colts would draw even, exactly six minutes into the 2nd period as Cole Beaudoin would get it past Oster for his 3rd of the postseason. Three minor penalties would get called in the middle to ladder half of the period but only one PP was awarded and the Gens could not retake the lead
In the late stages of the middle frame, the Generals would score twice to take a two goal lead. At 18:29, Sennecke scored his 12th of the playoffs from Danford and Marrelli and at 19:24, Powell potted his 3rd of the postseason from Griffin. Colts would have an answer at 19:43 as Owen Van Steensel would get his team within one goal heading into the final frame. Shots after 40 favoured Oshawa 26-15.
The Generals were 20 minutes away from taking a 3-0 stranglehold on this series and were looking to do it in front of their home crowd. They would continue to lead 5-4 until Kashawn Aitcheson would tie the game with his 6th of the playoffs. Romani would collect the lone assist. Just over four minutes later, Riley Patterson would put Barrie in front as he would beat Jacob Oster for his 6th goal of the playoffs. Stewart and Gardiner collected the assists.
With 2:30 to play, the Oshawa Generals would pull Jacob Oster down 6-5 and looking to tie the game. After numerous Colts icings, the Generals would work it around the offensive zone and the puck would end up on Owen Griffin’s stick and he would beat Hillebrandt to tie the game. We would head to overtime in Oshawa tied at 6. Shots after regulation favoured Oshawa
The two teams would skate through a scoreless, first overtime period. With the long change in overtime, each team would trade grade A scoring chances but both Oster and Hillebrandt stood tall. Gens did lose Zach Sandhu late in this period as he was involved in a collision and headed straight down the tunnel. Shots were even at 9 in the period.
Into the second overtime, chances would come in bunches for each club but through the first eight minutes, we would remain tied at 6. At 8:44, the Generals would streak into the Colts zone on a 3 on 2. D’Amato would find Sennecke, who would find Torrance and #17 in red would one time the puck past Hillebrandt on the glove side, to give Oshawa a 7-6 win and a 3-0 series lead.
Jacob Oster stopped 34 shots out of 40 for the victory while Sam Hillebrandt made 43 saves on 50 shots.
The Generals will go for the sweep on Thursday at 7:05pm at the Tribute Communities Centre.
