Oshawa cued the comeback
No. 6 seed Sudbury Wolves were poised for the upset of no. 3 seed Oshawa Generals. But it was Oshawa that upset Sudbury’s plans to pilfer the opening round Ontario Hockey League playoff series.
Sudbury had momentum and a 2-1 series lead heading in to Oshawa for Game 4. But the upstart Wolves would not win another game and score just four goals in dropping three straight matches to finish their season.
Riding the superb goal-tending of overage standout Jeremy Brodeur, Oshawa took Games 4, 5 and 6 by 4-2, 4-1 and 3-1 scores to put away a Sudbury squad that had been on a confident high.
In a pre-playoff preview in which I took a peek at all eight OHL first-round series, I had called for Sudbury to upset Oshawa in seven games, much to the good-natured chagrin of Generals head coach Bobby Jones.
After reading the HockeyNewsNorth.com story in which I opined that Sudbury would knock off Oshawa in seven games, I received a message from Jones.
“This hurts, you picking Sudbury to beat us,” Jones gently chided me. “We go back a long way, you and I.”
Indeed. I have known Jones for more than 30 years back to when he was a rookie OHL defenseman with the Soo Greyhounds. Jones was a favourite of mine then and he still is now.
Undaunted, I went against my “hockey bud” of 30-plus years and picked his team to lose in a first-round upset.
But as I laughingly told Jones after I made the prediction that Sudbury would upset Oshawa: “Think about it, Bobby. I am usually wrong.”
As it turns out, I was.
Now it’s on to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs for Oshawa, which will face the no. 2 seed Mississauga Steelheads. Who should I pick to win?
I think I will go with Mississauga to oust Oshawa in a six-game set.
Which — with me picking against them — gives the Generals a good chance for the upset.
On that note, Oshawa does have a hot goalie in the veteran Brodeur — which is an advantage over most OHL teams.
PHOTO: Oshawa Generals goalie Jeremy Brodeur.
I picked Sudbury too 🤦♂️
dam Wolves. dam them and there foolish undisciplined play! Wake up Matsos! Then again it is too late. Serries Over!