Scott Laughton of the Oshawa Generals scored the overtime winner against their East Division rivals, the Belleville Bulls on Thanksgiving Monday to give the Gennies a 4-3 win

PHOTO CREDIT - Ian Goodall, Goodall Media Inc

Oshawa - October 9, 2012 - The Oshawa Generals kept the Thanksgiving spirit in full force on Monday afternoon, well at least for 40 minutes anyways. The Generals were in a very giving mood towards the Belleville Bulls as the Bulls led the game in hits, shots, goals and energy through the first two periods.

Different story to start the third period for the Oshawa Generals. Generals captain Boone Jenner led the way by scoring his team’s first goal of the game, 20 seconds into the third period to tie the game at 1-1. Jenner’s goal shifted the momentum in the contest and seemed to give Oshawa a whole new life.

The Oshawa faithful finally got to witness the excitement that the Generals have brought to their previous five wins at home in the third period. Scoring for Oshawa collectively were Boone Jenner, Matt Petgrave and Michael Dal Colle during regulation. Scoring for the Belleville Bulls on Monday afternoon were Brendan Gaunce, Austen Brassard and Garrett Hooey. However, Philadelphia Flyers’ first round draft choice, Oshawa Generals’ centreman Scott Laughton scored the overtime winner at 2:16 as he fired a slap shot from Belleville’s blue line that was re-directed by Bulls’ defender Jordan Subban that handcuffed his own brother, Bulls’ netminder, Malcolm Subban, glove-high.

The game was frustrating to watch as the Generals just couldn’t click like they had in their previous contests. Oshawa’s power play mis-fired on four separate occasions and could not mount an attack. Goaltender Daniel Altshuller was impressive on many occasions to keep his team in the contest. He made some spectacular glove and left pad saves in the second period. Rookie sensation Michael Dal Colle (MDC) scored what appeared to be the eventual game winner at 18:13 of the third period, when Laughton performed yeomen’s work behind goaltender Subban and dished the biscuit out to MDC in the slot as he roofed the puck under the crossbar, making it a 3-2 contest in favour of the Gennies.

However, with only 24 seconds remaining in the game and with Subban pulled for an extra attacker, Bulls’ forward, Garrett Hooey scored a goal that should never have been on Altshuller. ”I have it; no I don’t” are the words that were likely uttered by Altshuller to himself. Hooey fired a slap shot from the half boards that Altshuller initially stopped, only to see the puck drop out of his glove and then trickle into the Generals’ net, tying the game at 3-3 and sending the contest into overtime.

The game was not without its share of ugliness as there was a good ol’ fashioned line brawl at the 15:33 minute mark of the second period after Generals’ defenseman, Will Peschenig plastered Bulls’ forward Chad Heffernan into the Gennies’ boards behind Altshuller. Bulls’ linemate Mack Lemmon literally flew into the fracas as the third man in to defend Heffernan. Both goaltenders even stared one another down from the top of their respective creases, but neither tender ventured towards the other.

The announced three stars of the game were the Bulls’ Garrett Hooey (3rd star, one goal, one assist), Generals’ forward Dal Colle (2nd star, two points) and captain Boone Jenner (1st star, one goal, his eighth of the season).

For the complete boxscore, please click on the OHL link here

The Generals’ next return to action this Friday at home when they host the Barrie Colts. Game time is 7:35 p.m. EDT.

Please check out “From the Whitby Cheap Seats” this Wednesday when I give my two cents on the Generals’ two-game performance from this past weekend.

For the love of the game, I remain, Dean Eastman.