The Bunker Report

It was business as usual at the Powerade Centre on Sunday afternoon. In the tail end of a three-game weekend, the Brampton Battalion set their sights on claiming a victory over the visiting Oshawa Generals.

The Troops were looking for their fifth straight victory at home, and first of a very long weekend. While playing Friday night against the Majors at Mississauga, Brampton dropped the decision in a tough shoot-out. It was their first loss to their arch-rivals this season. On Saturday night the Troops visited Owen Sound, again forcing extra time in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Attack. The Battalion still picked up points in the losses and haven’t lost a game in regulation time since December 2nd against the Sudbury Wolves.

The Generals on the other hand were coming off of a 6-3 victory against the Kitchener Rangers on Friday night. Oshawa was also welcoming newcomers Matt Petgrave and Geoffrey Schemitsch into their lineup after being acquired from the Owen Sound Attack. The Generals also brought in Julian Melchiori from Kitchener in a separate deal, but he would not be in the lineup Sunday against the Battalion.

Phil Lane opened the scoring just shy of four minutes into the game giving life to the Battalion side early. Patrik Machac and Brett Mackie drew assists on the play. Mackie moved up in the lineup to fill the hole left in the absence of rookie Brandon Robinson. At the World Under-17 Challenge while representing team Ontario, Robinson suffered a head injury and was forced to the sidelines.

New York Rangers prospect and Generals forward Christian Thomas would spring Scott Laughton on a partial breakaway. Laughton would convert to even the score at one-all. He outwaited Machovsky before roofing a backhander from in tight. Nick Quinn would draw the other assist.

Brampton would reclaim the lead with less than ten seconds to go before the end of the first period as Ian Watters would bury his 8th goal in only his 10th game this season. Zach Bell and Sam Carrick would draw the assists, sending the Battalion to the dressing room fired up.

The physicality of the game remained through the second period and again with less than a minute to go before the intermission, the Battalion found themselves with a two-man advantage. Sam Carrick would continue his dynamite season tipping a shot home putting Brampton up 3-1 after 40 minutes.

Christian Thomas would open the scoring in the third period with a shot that snuck in through a screen. Scott Laughton would draw an assist on the goal as would Matt Petgrave, giving him his first point as a General. Just 16 seconds later however, Brampton would strike back as Matt MacLeod would score his 5th goal of the season.

Brett Mackie would make it 5-2 after Connor Jarvis won a battle for the puck against Matt Petgrave and forced an odd-man rush. Phil Lane would draw his second assist and third point of the game on the Mackie goal.

A roughing penalty to Generals Captain Boone Jenner would give Brampton another opportunity with a man-advantage. Once again, they would convert the opportunity. Ian Watters would get his second of the game from Barclay Goodrow and Brendan Miller.

“They play very well, stick to their systems, dump it in, get hard on the D and put pucks on the net so they’re hard to play against” said Christian Thomas. “We came out slow in the first, we were a little too individual but we figured it out and got a couple goals.”

Nicklas Jensen’s absence from the Generals lineup due to the flu created a big hole to fill offensively. “He helps out a lot. He’s so good with the puck, he helps on the power play, and we can’t wait for him to be back” said Thomas.

“Didn’t feel like I had the greatest game tonight, but I feel like I have a lot to show in the games to come” said the recently acquired Petgrave. “I’m kinda looking forward to just playing defence, shutting down and letting the offense happen instead of trying to force things.

These two teams meet again on Friday night in Oshawa.