Paul Ludwinski scored the lone rally in the shootout, as the Kingston Frontenacs (24-21-1-2) went to extra time for a huge 3-2 victory over the Oshawa Generals (20-23-1-4) on Friday night at Leon’s Centre in the sixth of eight matchups in the season series. It was a back-and-forth battle in an East Division showdown, improving to 4-2-0-0 against Oshawa. The Fronts now have a 12-9-0-2 record at home and look for consecutive victories on Sunday versus Niagara.
After Oshawa’s Stuart Rolofs opened the scoring 23 seconds into the game, Owen Outwater tied it up 1-1 on the powerplay, before Ryan Gagnier sent the Gens to a 2-1 first intermission lead. Oshawa native Nathan Poole tied the game a second time, in the second period, to set up a 2-2 final frame in the seesaw battle. Following a scoreless overtime, Chicago Blackhawks prospect Paul Ludwinski scored the lone tally in the shootout earning the Black and Gold the win in the race for playoff Eastern Conference positioning.
Kingston special teams were key in the win, holding the OHL’s best powerplay to a 0-4 clip on the night and potting a powerplay marker in the first period.
Rookie defenceman Maleek McGowan returned to the Kingston lineup from a Dec 2 injury for his first home game.
Both goaltenders were solid contributors for each squad earning a point both seeing 33 regulation shots. Colorado Avalanche Ivan Zhigalov made his 32nd appearance for Kingston, seeing making 31 saves earning his 14th win. It was his fifth shootout appearance, earning a third victory for the Fronts in extra point time, named first star of the game. Third star Jacob Oster saved 32 shots in the loss for the Gens.
It would be a quick start for the Generals, taking the early lead with a Stuart Rolofs (20) marker 23 seconds after puck drop coming off a rebound in front of Zhigalov.
The Black and Gold didn’t take long to get the goal back, on their first man advantage. Able to set up and skate into shot from the circle, Owen Outwater (11) buried a shot past the blocker of the Gens goaltender to even it up 1-1. Ben Roger and Chris Thibodeau earned assists at 5:18.
The Gens took their second lead with a cross crease passing play finished off by Ryan Gagnier (24). The 2-1 goal was setup by a beauty pass by Nikita Parfenyuk at 10:37.
Ethan Miedema had a breakaway chance turned away by Oster with just over seven minutes left on Kingston’s best opportunity to tie it up before first intermission on a 13-13 total on the shot clock.
The Fronts improved to a 4-10-0-1 record while trailing after twenty minutes with the eventual overtime winner.
Zhigalov made a great stop after a Gens forward was sprung from penalty box when the Oshawa penalty ended, stopped a breakaway in a fast paced first half of the period. Oshawa’s Thomas Stewart then was stuffed out on another good save by the Kingston goaltender coming off a mini break on an odd man rush with 11 minutes remaining in the frame.
Oster had to make a diving stick save with a save-of-the-week candidate to keep the gens one-goal lead after Fronts points-leader Matthew Soto had been setup on a long, cross-ice pass for a one-timed shot.
Nathan Poole (3) got Kingston a second game-tying tally late in the middle period setting up the 2-2 third period score. After Ethan Miedema got the puck down low to Belanger, the veteran made a nice, backhanded no-look pass to setup Poole for the tally at 17:34.
Zhigalov made a nice, left pad save, helping the Fronts get to the third in a tie game off a Calum Ritchie opportunity in the last minute of the second period with a 27 -24 Kingston lead on the shot clock.
A tight checking third frame grew increasingly physical as the game boiled over with just over two minutes remaining after a scramble on front of the Kingston goal crease. Fronts’ Ian Lemiuex and Dylan Roobroeck were sent off, with Poole and Oshawa’s Cam Butler exiting misconduct penalties. Kingston went to their second powerplay but couldn’t get a lead.
Oshawa’s Gagnier had a breakaway chance saved by Zhigalov early in the man advantage on a shorthanded opportunity as the game went to overtime, Kingston’s eighth time, on an also square 33-33 shot clock.
Kingston’s Linus Hemstrom had a breakaway that forced Oster into making an overtime saving left pad stop in the last seconds of overtime sending the Frontenacs to their fifth shootout on the season.
After the goaltenders stopped the first five shooters, Paul Ludwinski beat Oster for the huge extra point and 3-2 win, improving to 4-2-0-0 against Oshawa on the season.
Scorers:
KGN: Outwater (11), Poole (3)
OSH: Rolofs (20), Gagnier (24)
Shootout: Ludwinski – GWG
PowerPlays:
KGN: (1/3)
OSH: (0/4)
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