THE GAME DAY GAZETTE

It’s an unusual Wednesday night home game for the Generals with a not-so-unusual opponent, the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Both teams come into the game on upward trajectories since the trade deadline a month ago, seemingly playing the best hockey they’ve played all season.

Hamilton arrives in Oshawa for the final time this season, and the final time as the Hamilton Bulldogs for at least the next three seasons. Following the completion of the 2022-2023 season, the team will temporarily relocate to Brantford for at least the next three seasons.

The Bulldogs are winners in six of their last ten games, including their most-recent upset of the Peterborough Petes last Saturday. Since dealing away all of their star players still remaining from their 2022 championship, the Bulldogs have been able to find new consistency in their lineup.

The additions of Nick Lardis and Sahil Panway have already paid dividends for the Bulldogs in the short time since they arrived.

Oshawa continues their push for a playoff spot, earning a hard-fought, almost necessary victory, over the Sudbury Wolves on Sunday afternoon. The 8-5 victory brings the Generals within one point of the final playoff spot in the eastern conference.

Last Meeting:

The Gens and Bulldogs have met five times already this season, with Wednesday being the sixth and final meeting. Oshawa has won three of the five meetings, including their most recent clash on January 8th, 3-2. Former General Patrick Leaver stopped 26/28 shots for the victory, holding onto an early 2-0 lead. Stuart Rolofs, Jordyn Ertel and Luke Torrance were the goal scorers for Oshawa.

Players To Watch

Tyler Graham Nick Lardis Dylan Roobroeck

The reigning big man on campus is currently riding a career-high sixgame point streak. On a tear recently, Roobroeck added another goal on Sunday afternoon, fooling everybody in the building with his rebound shot to beat the Wolves’ goaltender. Already setting career highs in every category, Roobroeck is beginning to prove why NHL GMs should be giving him a look at the upcoming NHL Draft.

Sometimes, all it takes is one for the floodgates to open. Tyler Graham, finally got the one thing eluding him so far this season, his first career OHL goal. You could almost sense it coming with his play as of late, upping his physical play and always being down in the gritty areas of play. Now that he has one, you have to think he already wants another.

Since joining the Bulldogs, Nick Lardis has turned his season around monumentally and now leads the Bulldogs in scoring. In 36 games with the Petes, Lardis managed only 19 points, but has smashed those totals in Hamilton. Just 15 games into his Hamilton career and he has scored 15 goals and added 12 assists for 27 points. He has been held off the scoresheet just twice as a Bulldog and has 10 multipoint efforts.