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V www.durhamregion.com THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, MARCH 5,2003 PAGE 15 Œfje Canadian Statesman Brian McNair Staff Writer bmcnair@durhamrcgion.com Generals need success in key areas before playoffs The Oshawa Generals will make a hasty playoff exit unless they address address a couple of key concerns - fast. With two weeks remaining in the Ontario Hockey League regular season, the Generals are being outplayed outplayed in two areas that are crucial to playoff success: on the power play and between the pipes. There is hope on both fronts, however. Despite having an abysmal time on the power play of late, going 0- for-23 in the past five games and l- for-33 in the past seven, surely the elements are there for better times ahead. Captain Jamie Johnson is one of the premier playmakers in the league, as his 68 assists through 61 games will attest. Although only four of his 22 goals have come on the power play, he is clearly the player who makes things tick when the Generals are successful with the man advantage. Brandon Nolan, meantime, brings speed, a booming shot and soft hands to the table. He leads the team with 13 power-play goals and 34 all told through 61 games. Nathan Horton also has a nice mix of talent, equally capable of setting up or scoring a goal and happy to crash and bang along the boards or in front. The Generals have no shortage of power forwards, with the likes of Ben Eager, Colt King and Ahren Nittel all bringing massive bodies and decent hands to the front of an opponent's net. And, while lacking a top-notch quarterback on the blue-line, defencemen defencemen Ladislav Kolda and Paul Ranger arc capable of adding some offence from the back end. So what exactly is the problem with the Generals' power play, which is currently 12th in the league at IS.4 per cent? "You can't break out on the power play when people aren't skating and moving," says coach George Burnett. "1 just don't think we're moving as a unit and clearly not working hard enough once we get it in for those second and third chances. We're on the perimeter, waiting for somebody else to do the job lor us." As for goaltending, it's not so much that Chris Bcckford-Tscu isn't playing well, but more that lie is being outplayed by his counterpart counterpart in the past few outings. Peter Hamerlik was named first star in both ends of a home-and- homc sweep for the Kingston Frontenacs on the weekend and David Currie likewise in Peterborough's Peterborough's 2-0 win last Thursday. "It doesn't matter who we play in the playoffs, we're going to see a good goaltender," says. Burnett, "1 think (Bcckford-Tscu) has been strong for its down the stretch, playing hockey that gives us a chance to win each and every night." A chance, yes. But lie didn't steal one of the key games, which saw the Generals sink to fifth in the Eastern Conference. He currently sits an unspectacular 21st in the league in goals against average (3.07) and 26th in save percentage (89.4), Beckford-Tseu gave a strong indication indication lie was a money goalie in last season's playoffs, keeping the overmatched Generals close in an opening round defeat to the Belleville Bulls. If he can shift gears again this spring and the power play can click on a more consistent basis, the Generals may yet have a lot of hockey to play. Stretching it out TORONTO - Mariska Andringa goes through her routine for the judges during a provincial qualifying competition in Toronto. The Clarington Gymnastics Academy athlete finished sixth overall in the Tyro 2 category, posting results of 8.65 on vault, 9.45 on bars, 8.80 on beam and 9.10 on floor. Orono midgets looking to repeat One victory away from advancing to Ontario finals BY BRAD KELLY Staff Writer ORONO - On paper, the Orono midgets have all the firepower and experience experience to advance to the Ontario championships. On the ice, well, they are using those tools to their advantage. Orono is one win away from the provincial finals, leading Port Carling 2-0 in their best-of-five Ontario Minor Hockey Association D semifinal playoff playoff series. Wins of 9-1 and 3-2 in the opening two games set the stage for Orono to close out the series on home ice Friday in Game 3 at 9 p.m. If Orono doesn't complete the sweep, Game 4 will be Saturday in Port Carling, with the fifth and deciding game Sunday in Orono at 4:30 p.m., if needed. The Orono players and coach Dale Millson are very familial' with advancing advancing to Ontario finals. This year's edition is comprised of a mix of players who won provincial championships with the Orono midget and bantam teams last season. "Hard work," is how Millson explained explained his team's success. The fact the players have been down this road before is also a help, with the experience of playing deep into the playoffs a definite plus. "The guys have been here before, so in a close game, it's an advantage," says Millson, who guided the midget team to the provincial title last season, and also has a peewee title to his credit. The playoffs have been an extension of a strong regular season, as Orono finished finished in first place in the Victoria- Durham League with an 18-1-3 record, scoring 103 goals while allowing just 26. In the playoffs, Orono swept Fenelon Falls 2-0, and then beat Newcastle Newcastle 3-1. In the quarterfinals, Orono received a scare from Douro, winning the six-point series 7-5 on the strength of a 2-0 win in the sixth and deciding game. Kevin Martin recorded the shutout in goal. Should Orono advance to the Ontario Ontario finals, they will meet the winner of a series between Thedford and Drayton. Losing streak continues for Gens Current skid hits four games after back-to-back setbacks to Kingston BY BRIAN McNAIR Staff Writer OSHAWA - The Oshawa Generals could certainly think of better destinations destinations to head to in order to stop a losing streak. But the reality is the Generals will carry a four-game losing skid into games tonight in Belleville and Friday in Ottawa, facing two of the most difficult difficult OHL teams to beat in their own buildings. The good news for the Generals is that they will play a slumping and banged-up Bulls club tonight (7:05 p.m., CKDO) at Yardmen Arena, a rink they finally won at in the previous meeting there, 4-1 on Nov, 30, after losing 14 straight over three-plus seasons. seasons. In order to snap out of their current funk, however, the Generals will be looking for their offence to produce a whole lot more than they have of late. After dropping both ends of a liome- aiul-home set with the Kingston Frontenacs, Frontenacs, 4-2 in Kingston Friday and 3-1 in Oshawa Sunday, the Generals have now managed a mere five goals in the past four games. "We've looked to our veteran guys, our key guys, and that's four games in a row now they've put nothing on the hoard at the offensive end of the rink," coach and general manager George Burnell said after Sunday's loss. "I think we gave up live or six scoring scoring chances throughout the entire game (Sunday), so it would indicate there are some good things going on without the puck," he added. Although the Generals have won four games in a row against the Bulls this season, Belleville still has a chance to square the season series after winning winning the first three. The Bulls arc 1-6-3 in their past 10 games and have slipped to seventh in the OIIL's Eastern Conference at 28- 26-5-2. "We've had some success against them and they're banged up a little bit," Burnett said of the Bulls, who have been without injured snipers Cody McCormick McCormick and Adam Paiement. It doesn't get an easier Friday, when the Generals face the conference-leading conference-leading 67's (40-14-7-3) in Ottawa. Now fifth in the conference with a 32-26-2-1 record, the Generals also have road games in Toronto against the St. Michael's Majors (29-22-7-3) Sunday Sunday and in Peterborough against the Petes (29-21 -10-3) next Wednesday before before closing out the regular season at home against Brampton March 14 and Peterborough March 16. Before Sunday's game, the Generals will finish off the final 4:53 of a Sept. 20 game in which they were leading 4- 2 before a power outage struck. GENERALLY SPEAKING: Nullum Horion (28th) opened the scoring Sunday with a breakaway goal 10:14 into the game, but goals by Bill Kinkcl, Miguel Delisle and Danny McDonald (empty net) gave Kingston the win. Frontenacs goalie Peter Hamerlik was the first star after Oshawa Oshawa oulshot Kingston 38-20... Alter going O-lbr-7 on the power play, the Generals are now l-of-33 with the man advantage in the past seven games,.. There was another good crowd (3,843) for Sunday's matinee at the Civic. OSHAWA - Brandon Nolan (23) of the Oshawa Generals is pinned against the hoards by Kingston's Cory Stillman (6) and Drew Kata (19) during Sunday's Ontario Hockey League game at the Civic Auditorium, Auditorium,