Has it all come together for the Generals?
Fri Mar 28, 2008
By: By Shawn Cayley
OSHAWA -- It's probably safe to say the show of hands that figured the Oshawa Generals would sweep their way through the first round after the way the regular season ended would have been very few. The Generals had fumbled their way down the stretch of the Ontario Hockey League season, going 2-8 included three overtime and three shootout losses in their last 10. However, somewhere along the line, things changed. After knocking off the Ottawa 67's in four straight games, that troubling stretch seems as though it was ages ago. However, Generals coach Chris DePiero certainly hasn't forgotten it. He figures that is part of the reason they head off to the second round in convincing fashion. "I think a lot of our success was a culmination of what we went through the last three weeks of the season," he said Friday, a day after the Generals wrapped the series up with a 4-1 win in Ottawa. "Getting that win in the last game of the season against St. Mike's was huge. That gave us the opportunity to know that we're still a pretty good team and that we can win. "You've got to go game-by-game and let each game take it's course. I think that's what we did here," DePiero added. In one sense, it was a shocking turn of events for the Generals. They entered the postseason having allowed the most goals of any playoff team. Discipline was continually an issue and goaltender Michal Neuvirth was still struggling Well, through four games the team allowed a paltry six goals, which was a credit to the team defence says DePiero. For the most part, they did a decent job of staying out the penalty box. And Neuvirth? All he did was post a 1.50 goals against average and .959 save percentage through four games, which included a 46-save effort in a 2-1 Game 3 victory. DePiero has never publicly wavered when it comes to his support for Neuvirth, and he figures the goalie was out to make a statement after struggling for much of the previous two months. "I think he resigned himself to the fact that he has a tremendous opportunity with this team and I think he wanted to prove to a lot of people, and himself, that he is the goalie that helped Plymouth win an OHL championship last year," says the coach. "And he is doing that." Offensively, the Generals employed a rather balanced attack. Brett MacLean had a goal and six points to lead the team, while John Tavares and three others had two goals each. The Eastern Conference semifinals pitting the Generals against the Niagara Ice Dogs is not likely to begin until April 4, according to DePiero. Niagara also swept their first round series, defeating Mississauga in four straight.