Oshawa Generals forward Bradley Latour charges the net on a two-on-one that the Generals turned into the first goal of game six against the North Bay Battalion on Sunday afternoon. PHOTOS BY JAMES BERTI
Revenge is sweet.
The Oshawa Generals have stolen the Bobby Orr Trophy from the North Bay Battalion as the 2015 Eastern Conference Champions.
After winning their third straight game of the series 2-1 at Memorial Gardens on Sunday afternoon, the Generals have turned the tables on the Troops from a year ago to advance to the fourth and final round.
This time, the Generals' strength and size looked to wear the gang green down who, despite a third period surge, failed to pack the appropriate offensive punch when it mattered most.
Matt Mistele's second period goal was the eventual game-winner on Sunday, after which the Battalion offence couldn't counter.
Hunter Smith was the other goal scorer for the Eastern Conference Champions, while goaltender Ken Appleby, a North Bay native, stopped 20 shots in the winning performance.
“It’s nice to come back a year later with a lot of the same guys and find a way to win,” Oshawa head coach D.J. Smith said after the game. “I thought we competed really hard defensively and made it as hard as possible for them to score and we found a way to sneak one out.”
Now, the Generals advance to face Connor McDavid and the Erie Otters in the OHL Championship series.
The Troops were able to get behind the Oshawa defence and generate a string of solid scoring chances in the first frame though.
Brett McKenzie was given a golden opportunity to give his team the early go-ahead with an open net shot from about three feet away, but his chance was fired wide after the Oshawa defence prevented him from getting a clean follow through.
That missed opportunity proved costly, after Oshawa immediately countered and struck first on a two-on-one of their own.
After blocking a shot in their defensive zone, Oshawa forward Smith was sprung on a rush. As he looked to linemate Bradley Latour for the pass, Battalion goaltender Jake Smith was pulled slightly out of position, which the Oshawa puck carrier recognized and snuck a smooth wrist shot through the five hole.
“That changed the game,” Battalion head coach Stan Butler said of the sequence. “If that puck goes in for us, now our guys get a little more confident."
The Generals continued to play with their punishing physical presence in the second period, which looked to wear the Troops down and, ultimately, translated on the scoreboard too.
Shortly after a quick offensive zone faceoff, the Generals created a mad scramble in Jake Smith’s crease, forcing the goaltender to twist, turn and slide out of position.
Eventually the puck snuck out into an open crease and Mistele was left to reap the rewards with the easiest goal he will ever score for the two-goal lead.
A late third period thrust provided some incredible action for the North Bay fans, as the Battalion pressured and produced countless quality desperation scoring chances.
Forward Nick Moutrey managed to bang home a rebound from a Kyle Wood shot in a scrappy crease scramble on a mid period power play, which brought the Memorial Gardens crowd to life for one momentous push.
“You could really see for us, once we scored that power play goal in the third period, we were a different team,” Butler explained. “What that was, it wasn’t an elimination game, it was a hockey game. Because of that, they started to compete and play the way they can.”
But the Generals were able to hang on just long enough to end the series early and book their ticket to the big stage.
As the Generals adjusted and progressed throughout the series, The Battalion failed to adapt, especially on the scoreboard.
After exploding for six goals in the opening game of the matchup, the Troops managed to score just six more in the next five games combined.
“I just knew I had to be better after game one, so I just tried to do everything I would do on a good day and, fortunately, I was able to turn things around,” Appleby said after Sunday’s celebration.
“We battled hard all series; the guys tonight, they blocked shots and did everything right,” he added.
“Our inability to score at critical times hurt us and when you get in a series with two really good hockey teams, you had better make the most of your breaks,” said Butler. “Last year we made the most of our breaks, this year they made the most of theirs.”
The Battalion end their second season in North Bay having made it to at least the third round of the playoffs both times.
“I’ve been proud of our players all year," said Butler. "I feel they bring a competitive edge to the game all the time and they never give up and today’s game was the same way."
“I think we had a good season," the head coach reflected. "Two seasons in North Bay, we’ve won five playoffs rounds, 18 home games; I think most owners in the OHL wouldn’t mind that.
