The Oshawa Generals are on a ten game winning streak as they continue to widen the gap in first place in the Eastern Conference.
The Oshawa Generals continue to soar in the league's standings, as they have a three point lead on the Mississauga Steelheads in the Eastern Conference. They have now won ten consecutive games, as they will enter the postseason on a heater.
Oshawa wasn't exactly projected to be a top contender this season, but between their young talent and adequate moves at the deadline, the Generals are in a great spot.
Leading the way for the Generals is Colorado Avalanche first round pick Calum Ritchie. He is the face of this team on-and-off the ice, and his progression has soared this season. He's always been a responsible two-way centre in this league, and his hockey sense is elite. Ritchie is beginning to take more risks and chances offensively, and he is turning those into points.
Ritchie has 76 points in 48 games this season for Oshawa, and he is a +42.
Oshawa's trio of draft eligibles have also been difference makers; Beckett Sennecke, Luca Marrelli, & Ben Danford.
Sennecke has been Ritchie's right-hand man for the past two seasons, and the two have built some undeniable chemistry. Sennecke's ability to get himself into tight areas with the puck and make plays close to his body is what makes him effective. He's got a lengthy 6-foot-3 reach, and he's able to manipulate defenders with it. His skating for a taller player is tremendous, and it makes him a unique, yet projectable prospect ahead of the draft.
Both Luca Marrelli and Ben Danford have played big minutes on the back end as eighteen-year-olds this season. Both are very different players, but fill different roles on Oshawa's blue line. Marrelli is more of a puck-moving, transition-effective defender who likes to create plays off the entry. On the other hand, Danford is a defensively-sound, reliable defender who can lockdown his own zone.
Looking further down the lineup, forwards Dylan Roobroeck, Connor Lockhart, Stuart Rolofs, and Rasmus Kumpulainen have been consistent producers. Oshawa's top two lines have a lot of depth with these players.
On the blue line, Oshawa picked up two valuable pieces in Connor Punnett and Zackary Sandhu at the OHL trade deadline. These two have been instrumental to the Generals success in the second half of the season, being veteran defensive presences.
Last but not least, Oshawa has Jacob Oster in goal. Oster has arguably been the best goaltender in the OHL this season, and he gives the Generals a chance to win every night. He has that perfect balance of athletic goaltending and disciplined positioning, and he doesn't give shooters a lot to shoot at.
The Oshawa Generals have a real chance to make it all the way to the OHL Finals this season, as the top team in the Eastern Conference. Their ten game winning streak is a testament to their progression as a team this season, and they should head into the postseason with all of the motivation in the world.
They haven't just been beating any teams during this win streak, they have beat London, the Soo, and Sudbury (x2) in this win streak. The Generals are showing that they can hang with the best teams in the OHL, and even with the four monsters in the West — the London Knights, Kitchener Rangers, Soo Greyhounds, & Saginaw Spirit.