Oshawa Generals – losers of three straight – hope return to full capacity will turn season around

The bad news is the Oshawa Generals are on a three-game losing streak and have won just four of their past 10 games.

The not-as-bad news is the club still sits third in the division and fifth in the conference, though the gap between Oshawa and first place Hamilton – who are 9-1 in their last ten games and smoked Niagara 10-2 Sunday night – is now 15 points.

The good news – and this is really good news for a team that desperately wants their fans back and in full voice – is the provincial government’s fast-tracked re-opening means Tuesday’s home game against Ottawa will be at 100 per cent capacity, with no vaccination requirements required.

Masks will still be mandatory.

But back to the bad news …

The Generals’ 0-for-3 weekend actually started last Thursday when they took the short bus ride up to Peterborough to play the Petes, who currently sit ninth in the conference and outside of a playoff position.

Peterborough won 3-1, with captain Ty Tullio scoring the only Oshawa goal.

The next night they went on the road for a slightly longer bus ride to Kingston, the team they are chasing in the standings. Thanks to Shane Wright, the probable number one draft pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft and his four points, the Frontenacs walked all over Oshawa in a 6-2 win, with Tullio (with his 28^th of the season) and Cooper Way supplying the offence for the Generals.

Forty-eight hours later Oshawa had its chance at payback – and at home to boot – when the Frontenacs arrived in town for a date at the Tribute Communities Centre. The result? Another loss, this time 3-1, with the highlight probably a post-to-post diving glove side by Zach Paputsakis with under five minutes to play and Gens down one.

Paputsakis faced 40 shots in all.

Brett Harrison scored the lone Oshawa goal while Lucas Edmonds scored twice for the winners.

If the season ended today Oshawa would face Kingston in the first round so Generals’ coach Todd Miller will need to find the magic in this talented club in a hurry or the season will be over at lot sooner than expected.