Despite some significant changes to their roster, the Oshawa Generals continue to find ways to win hockey games.
The team travelled to Guelph and left with a 6-2 win against the Storm at the Sleeman Centre Jan. 27.
The Generals traded captain Anthony Cirelli to Erie and defenseman Mitchell Vande Sompel to London at the OHL trade deadline on Jan.10. The Generals picked up forward Allan McShane, 16, and defenseman Ian Blacker, 17, and several draft choices in the deals.
Since that date, the Generals have posted a 4-4 record and remain near the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
According to new captain Joe Manchurek, this was the first time that the Generals have won on the road since a 2-1 win in Hamilton Dec.2.
“It was a good team effort, we got a couple goals early which was pretty key,” Manchurek said.
Manchurek said he is adjusting nicely into the captaincy and believes the team has come a long way since the trades were made and everyone is fitting well together.
“It was pretty tough at first, they were two guys who have been here a while but we’ve come along way with the new guys” Manchurek explained. “We are showing them how we play so I think we are all fitting pretty good and I think we just got to keep playing.”
In Guelph, Medric Mercier opened the scoring for Oshawa, his 14th goal of the season. Not shortly after that goal the second came from Manchurek. Later in the first period, with the teams playing four-on-four, Kenny Huether made it 3-0 with his 12th goal of the season.
The Storm started off the second period strong but the Generals didn’t hold back, ending the period two with two more goals and grabbing a 5-1 lead.
The Storm made a bid for a comeback at the beginning of the third period with a goal. With ten minutes left in the period, Domenic Commisso scored the sixth goal for the Generals. The Generals’ goalie, Jeremy Brodeur, stopped 37 out of 39 shots.
The Generals will be playing the Windsor Spitfires on Feb. 9 in Windsor at 7:05 p.m.
