During their last three games, Ottawa has scored 23 goals, including an 8-3 demolishing of the ninth place Oshawa Generals in front of 6,202 fans at the J. Benson Cartage Centre on Friday night. Ottawa got balanced scoring from top to bottom in their line up as 11 of 18 players recorded at least a point and also scored on four of eight powerplay opportunities. The win pushes Ottawa to 6-2 thus far in January and gives them a three point cushion for first in the Eastern Conference.

            Ottawa came out of the gate flat-footed, perhaps tired from playing the previous night in Peterborough, as they relied heavily on Petr Mrazek to make a number of saves in the early going. Mrazek made 14 saves in the first until Nicklas Jansen took a cross ice pass, cut to the middle and let a hard slap shot go from between the dots, beating Mrazek at 19:32, making it 1-0 Oshawa at the break.

“Sometimes it's tough getting going after playing the night before and a little bit of travel...but we played well in their zone and capitalized on some chances,” said Coach and GM Chris Bryne after the game.

            With 40 minutes of hockey left to play, it was integral that Ottawa come out in the second with a better effort and that’s what they did. Ottawa scored on their first two shots of the period, the first of which from Captain Marc Zanetti who let a seeing eye shot go from the point, beating Nepean native Daniel Altshuller five-hole.

            Just 44 seconds later, newcomer John McFarland would take a nifty pass between two defenders from Shane Prince (who has 6 goals, 9 assists in his last 5 games) before letting a laser of a wrister go, off the crossbar and in for his 24^th goal of the year. Oshawa would respond later in the period as Lucas Lessio attempted a pass on a 2-on-1 to Nicklas Jensen, but Marc Zanetti's spirited attempt at back-checking into the play was all for naught, as the pass from Lessio deflected off his backside and passed Mrazek.

            That was as close as Oshawa would keep it the rest of the game, as Cody Ceci would score his 10^th of the year on the PP at 15:45.

“It was nice for the powerplay to score...we had been struggling on the powerplay, but we did a better job of shooting and getting pucks back to the net,” said Byrne.  “Great to shoot the puck and get some success.”

            Steven Janes would add his first of two on the night 39 seconds later, as he followed the play on an odd-man rush down low and put in the rebound off the initial Tyler Graovac shot, making it 4-2 Ottawa.

            Tyler Toffoli's 35^th of the year in the third period was the 146^th on his OHL career, tying him for fifth all-time with Jim Fox. Cardwell (seventh of the year), Janes (11^th of the year) and Smith (14^th of the year) would all add goals as Mrazek stopped 39 shots for his 19^th win of the season.

Game Notes: Oshawa outshot Ottawa 42-37. Tyler Toffoli is the top point-getter in the OHL with 72 points in 41 games. Marc Zanetti and Scott Sabourin fought after the whistle at 7:41 of the first. Sean Callaghan and Josh Brown fought at 15:18 of the first after Sean Callaghan laid a clean hit on Oshawa Captain Boone Jenner. Ottawa finished 4/8 on the PP, Oshawa was 1/6. Ottawa's next game is Sunday afternoon @ 2:00 against Kitchener