The Oshawa Generals have moved into second place in the OHL's Eastern Conference after eight wins in January, and three wins this month thus far.
Despite not having high expectations entering the season, the Oshawa Generals now find themselves in second place in the Eastern Conference. They have a record of 26-17-4, and are currently tied with 58 points with North Bay & Brantford.
A lot of the Generals success has come with the return of Calum Ritchie from injury. The Colorado Avalanche prospect is one of the smartest two-way centres in major junior hockey, and he has elevated his offensive game tremendously this season. He is averaging 1.55 points per game since returning, and is taking a lot more risks in the attacking zone.
Last season, Ritchie didn't take too many risks or chances offensively, and he played with more of a passive mindset. Now that he is playing like a go-getter offensively, he is creating and generating a lot more.
Oshawa is still a very young team, but their draft-eligible prospects have taken many strides this season — Beckett Sennecke, Ben Danford, & Luca Marrelli. These three have become instrumental parts to the Generals success, while boosting their own draft stocks as well.
In goal, Jacob Oster has been one of the best netminders in the OHL. He has 42 starts — more than any other goalie in the league. He also ranks second in goals against average with 2.92.
The Generals have become very good at keeping the puck out of their own net and overall defensively. The additions of Connor Punnett and Zach Sandhu at the trade deadline really helped with that, but Danford and Marrelli have also been playing big minutes defensively.
Punnett and Sandhu's experience will be vital for Oshawa's playoff run, as they have both been through playoff runs with past teams.
Danford has embraced a new identity this season as a reliable, stay at home defenceman. He has become a player who can be relied upon in high-pressure defensive situations, and Marrelli has become the same.
The Generals have serious potential to go far in the postseason with their performance over the last month or two. Lead by the offence of Calum Ritchie & Connor Lockhart, and the defence of Connor Punnett and Ben Danford, and the goaltending of Jacob Oster, Oshawa will not be an easy customer come playoffs.