Oshawa Generals survive late controversy to square first round series with Barrie

The rise of the Oshawa Generals from a pre-season ranking of #13 to the top spot in the final Ontario Hockey League regular season Power Rankings were released last week and it seemed the players got a little too caught up in their hoopla, coming within nine seconds of going down 2-0 at home against the Barrie Colts in the first round of the playoffs.

Oshawa’s rise from #13 to #1 was the biggest rise in the OHL rankings over the course of the year while Barrie, who earned the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, went the other way, falling from #9 in the pre-season forecast to #16 – the worst seed of any of the league’s playoff teams – in the final Power Rankings.

You’d never know it from the first two games as the club went into the Tribute Centre Friday and came out with a 4-2 win and battled back twice Sunday to stay in the game and only a controversial no-goal call in the dying seconds – even Generals supporters said on social media it should have counted – prevented game two (a 5-4 Oshawa victory) from going into overtime.

Luke Torrance was the hero for Oshawa with the game winner eight minutes into the third while Matthew Buckley scored twice on the same shift in the second – both on Austin Matthews-style one-timers from the slot – to earn the first star. Beckett Sennecke (on a breakaway) and Dylan Roobroeck had the other Oshawa goals.

Roobroeck and Sennecke also provided the Generals’ offence in the opener.

Oshawa needs to sweep the next two games in Barrie this week if they are to regain home ice advantage in the series. Games three goes Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Sadlon Arena.

Luke Torrance with the game-winner Sunday for the Oshawa Generals