On a night where the Barrie Colts had little energy in the tank, they proved no match for a streaking red-hot Oshawa Generals team on home ice.
Calum Ritchie and Dylan Roobroeck each had a goal and assist and former Colts captain Connor Punnett pitched in with two helpers as the Generals collected their seventh straight win with a 5-1 decision over a weary Barrie team, Sunday night, at Tribune Communities Centre.
Coming off a hard-fought 4-2 victory at home over the North Bay Battalion the previous night and playing their fourth game of the week, the Colts (26-30-4-0) were thoroughly dominated in the opening two periods and despite a push in the third couldn’t overcome a determined Oshawa squad looking to hold on to its place atop the Eastern Conference standings.
“They had the night off and these are one of these scheduling type things that are tough games,” said Colts head coach Marty Williamson, whose club got within 3-1 early in the third before Stuart Rolofs and Rasmus Kumpulainen scored late to put the game away. “We played a pretty emotional game last night and to come in here — they were rested and were battling for first place — it was a tough start for us.
“We had a little push in the third and if we could have maybe got that second one. Unfortunately, it went their way.”
Luke Torrance scored just 3:12 into the contest and thanks in large part to the play of goaltender Ben West the Colts, who were outshot 17-6 in the frame, found themselves down just 1-0 after the first period.
“I felt like we definitely came out flat in the first period,” said Tiller. “We got outshot, outplayed and I just feel like we didn’t have the response that we needed to have to come back against a great team like Oshawa.”
Ritchie early and Roobroeck late scored in the second to give the Generals control.
“Marty, in between the second and third, came in and said, ‘You guys get one, this game can change for sure,’” said Tiller.
The Colts did exactly that when Beau Jelsma, running his scoring streak to 15 games (16-12-28), set up a one-timer by Cole Beaudoin on the power play at 6:51 to cut the lead to two, but it was close as they would get against the Generals (35-19-7-2) who dominated shots, 47-24.
“That was kind of it,” Williamson said of Rolofs’ goal at 14:48 to make it 4-1. “I thought we had a chance to make a play there and we just made the wrong decision, but again that comes with fatigue a little bit. We tried to bring three lines and just had a little push in the third and the (Beaudoin) goal really quieted the building down.
“We had a couple of looks that were just mistakes and that and that’s just the way it goes. At least we had the push, I was happy with the guys with that. I thought we were low energy and it’s just one of those games that you can’t get too upset with them. We just got to move on and get a good day rest tomorrow and then play a tough Ottawa team.”
After the game, Williamson said Roobroeck’s goal to make it 3-0 late in the third really “bothered” him. He felt he should have called a timeout.
“I had tired guys out on the ice,” said the Barrie coach. “One of my guys said he was OK and we decided not to call a time out and we had some tired players and probably could have made a better decision there.
“If I call one there and give them a rest, maybe it’s 2-0 instead of 3-0. Hindsight is 20-20.”
The good news was despite the loss, the Colts gained ground in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with the Peterborough Petes.
The Petes fell 7-2 to the host Brantford Bulldogs Sunday afternoon and remain 10 points behind Barrie, but now have just six games remaining. The Colts also hold two games in hand.
Barrie, which has eight games remaining, now trails Kingston by six points for seventh spot after the Frontenacs won 4-1 in Sarnia. The Colts have three games in hand.
“The sooner we can get that x (clinched), I can really lengthen our lineup a little bit and get prepared for playoffs,” said Williamson. “We are still looking ahead of us, but Kingston won (Sunday). And, with our loss, it’s a little bit difficult that way but we’re going to try. We got the IceDogs a couple of times, Sudbury a couple of times and if we can scrape out some more wins you never know, we can get back in that race for seventh.”
The Colts will have a day off before getting back to action Tuesday afternoon on the road against the Ottawa 67’s. It’s part of a crazy schedule that beginning last week requires the Colts to play 12 games between March 5 and March 23.
“I don’t remember having it this busy,” Williamson said of ever having a schedule this jam packed. “Even with the add on game because of the ice (Niagara IceDogs makeup game), it still was a heavy schedule. We’ve been behind in games for this whole half.
“I got to really look at the schedule maker when we look at next year’s schedule and not fall into the same trap.”
The Colts also had another game moved from early to late in the season by another team due to an ice conflict.
“It only takes a couple of those things and it makes for a really tough schedule,” he said. “As much as everybody thinks they’re young athletes, there’s a lot of bodies being banged out there and bruises and bumps. My major job managing this team down the stretch here is we want to be healthy.”
Game time Tuesday at TD place is 2 p.m. The Colts and 67’s complete the home-and-home set Thursday night back in Barrie.
ICE CHIPS: Beaudoin’s 26th goal of the season snapped a seven-game scoring drought for the top NHL prospect. . . Riley Patterson’s assist gave him 58 points (27G, 31A) and moved him one point ahead of Brantford’s Jake O’Brien atop the rookie scoring lead. . .Punnett recently signed an entry level contract with the Dallas Stars. . . Tiller offered West a few words of encouragement after the game. “He stood on his head for us tonight,” he said. “If it wasn’t for him, that game would have been an even bigger blowout.” . . . Tiller has two assists and is a plus six in his return to the lineup after missing nearly a month with a foot injury. “It was tough watching the guys from the stands every night,” he said. “I wanted to be out there helping them, but I’m happy I got back quickly. Our training staff did a great job, my parents helped me out getting whatever I needed.”
TERRY WILSON/OHL IMAGES
