The OHL Finals shift out east to Oshawa for Game 3, where the Generals will be looking to get their offence going along with stopping London's ferocious attack.
After another shelling by the London Knights over the Generals in Game 2, both teams packed up their gear and hopped on the ON-401 highway for the two-and-a-half-hour drive bound east for Oshawa.
The vibes inside the Knights' bus must have been extremely high having outscored their opponents 17-2 through just two games in the OHL Finals. As for Oshawa, their team bus may have been quieter as they searched for answers to get back into this series having been decimated through the first two games.
"It's tough on those kids there, it's tough to watch them go through that. At the end of the day these are kids and they've poured out their hearts to get here. The first two games are gone here and we'll pick ourselves up and get ready for Monday." Those were the words Oshawa's Head Coach Derek Laxdal told the media following Saturday's 9-1 loss to London. The Generals have a very young team, so we must be reminded that London's team has a lot more experience.
"Don't worry about the score. The score is what it is. We're down 2-0 in the series that's what matters right, so we get a chance to go into our own building now, and hopefully get some bodies back here," Derek Laxdal continued.
Oshawa for the second straight game were without star winger Beckett Sennecke, 30-goal scorer Matthew Buckley, and rugged shutdown defenceman Connor Punnett. Hopefully, a few of them or all three will be good to go for Game 3, but their statuses are still in question.
The Generals had trouble staying disciplined and out of the penalty box in Game 2 and the Knights made them pay for it going 4-for-8 on the powerplay. "Two words for you. Too many," Laxdal said regarding the amount of penalties they took Saturday night. London is now 6-for-10 on the man advantage in the series.
London's powerplay has been humming, while Oshawa's has struggled and is 0-for-7 in the series, which has been a strength to their game all playoffs long.
It hasn't just been Oshawa's inability to stop London's offence that has been an issue through the series' first two games. They have been outshot 80-47 in the series and have struggled to task London into defending for long stretches throughout the game. London's defencemen are flashing their ability to negate rush opportunities early at their blueline to stop the Generals' transitional attack. And they waste no time moving the puck up out of their zone which has nullified Oshawa's forecheck.
In a brief summary, Oshawa needs to start spending more time on offence and in London's end rather than chasing the puck in their own end.
Philadelphia Flyers prospect Oliver Bonk has been outstanding thus far with five points in the series. The other Philadelphia prospect Denver Barkey has been terrific as well with a four-point game in Game 2 and bringing his production in the series up to six points.
Jacob Oster will need a bounce back if the Generals have any chance of snagging a win from London. Oster has allowed 15 goals on 65 shots and has yet to finish a game in this series having pulled in Games 1 & 2.
Oshawa will need three things to happen if they are to win Game 3 Monday night. They have to stay out of the box and avoid London's lethal powerplay. Jacob Oster was the Goaltender of the Year for good reason and has been terrific for them in the post-season up until this point. They will need him to return to form. Lastly, they need to sustain more offensive zone time and not allow the London defenders to lead the attack as they have done for most of the first two games.