Winnipeg Jets prospect Colby Barlow started the OHL playoffs with a bang, recording a hat trick and four points in a 7-4 win for the Oshawa Generals. 

The 20-year-old completed his first regular-season campaign with the Generals, scoring 32 goals and 61 points. Barlow's expectations were high. He had previously played with the Owen Sound Attack, producing tremendous numbers on a very weak team.

Joining a Generals squad consisting of names like Cal Ritchie, Beckett Sennecke, Ben Danford and Luca Marrelli, the hope was Barlow would continue his dominance. The season started off slowly and progressively improved, but beginning the playoffs as slowly as the regular season was not something Barlow was looking to do. 

The Generals hope to return to the OHL finals this year, and Barlow started the postseason exactly as they wanted it to, opening the scoring. The Brampton Steelheads responded, but Barlow wasn't finished, scoring his second goal four minutes after the Steelheads tied the game.  

With a 4-1 lead heading into the second period, the Jets' 18th selection in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft completed the hat trick, putting the game out of reach.

Barlow isn't known for his skating, but he uses his 6'1, 194 lbs frame to get into dangerous areas of the ice, and release his heavy and deadly accurate shot. 

If what he portrayed in Game 1 of the playoffs is what we can expect from Barlow, the Generals could be in line for another deep playoff run. Barlow was one of the biggest fallers in The Hockey News' Top 100 prospects list, falling 40 spots, but a strong postseason can change things. 

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