Everything came together for the Owen Sound Attack in Kingston.
Gavin Bryant, Servac Petrovsky and Colby Barlow scored in a dominant first period by the Attack, as they jumped out to a 3-1 lead en route to a 5-2 win over the Frontenacs in Ontario Hockey League action Friday night at the Leon’s Centre.
The win ended a two-game slide for Owen Sound. Kingston’s losing skid hit three in the loss.
It was also win No. 1000 in Owen Sound OHL franchise history, including the Platers and Attack years since the club moved to the Scenic City in 1989.
Nolan Seed and Ethan Burroughs also scored for the Attack, which never trailed in the game. Paul Ludwinski and Christopher Thibodeau had Kingston’s goals.
Owen Sound put together another strong start for a second straight night – and were rewarded this time on the scoresheet.
Bryant used a burst of speed after a Petrovsky neutral zone faceoff win to surge up ice and create a breakaway for himself, and then blasted a wrist-shot over the glove of Kingston netminder Ivan Zhigalov to put the Attack up 1-0 with 5:48 left in the first period.
That ended a streak of 10 straight games Owen Sound had conceded the first goal – dating back to a 3-2 win over Sudbury on Dec. 2.
Petrovsky made it 2-0 just 31 seconds later, notching his 15th of the season.
Kingston would get one back with 1:27 left in the first. Ludwinski let a wrist shot go from inside the left-point that found it way past Corbin Votary on the blocker-side. Owen Sound’s lead cut to 2-1.
But the Attack would restore their two-goal lead before the siren sounded to end the first. Seed found Barlow down low in the slot area with a pass and Owen Sound’s captain whistled a one-time snapshot past Zhigalov to make it 3-1 with 5.9 seconds left on the clock in the opening period.
Seed then scored the lone goal of the second period. Owen Sound’s overage defenceman skated off the right-point and dished the puck down low to Cedrick Guindon before cutting towards the front. Guindon’s return pass deflected off Seed’s skate and found its way past Zhigalov at 12:21 of the second to make it 4-1 Attack.
A strong individual effort by Christopher Thibodeau made it a two-goal game just over six minutes into the third. He streaked down the right-wing and then deked himself toward the front of the net, eventually depositing a rebound in the crease area to cut Owen Sound’s lead to 4-2.
Burroughs sealed it with 4:59 to play with a perfectly placed wrist shot on a 2-on-1, firing high over Zhigalov’s glove and just under the crossbar.
Votary made 26 saves in the win, while Zhigalov stopped 24 taking the loss. The Attack outshot the Frontenacs 29-28 while going 0 for 1 on the power play; Kingston finished 1 for 2.
The Attack improved to 9-0 this season when leading after the first period.
Owen Sound will close out their three-game eastern swing in Ottawa on Sunday with an afternoon clash against the Eastern Conference leading 67’s. Game time is 2 p.m., and you can hear all the action live on 560 CFOS with Kia of Owen Sound-Terry’s Trailer Service Bearadio.
100 Career Points For Guindon
Guindon recorded two assists in Owen Sound’s win over Kingston to reach the 100-point plateau in his OHL career. The second-year forward has 41 points in 35 games this season. He set a new rookie record for the Attack for points with 59 in the 2021-22 season.
Homecoming Game For Attack Trio
Friday night’s clash in Kingston featured a healthy contingent of Owen Sound Attack supporters in the stands. Votary, Brayden Rogers and Cal Uens each had many friends and family in the stands for the road game in the OHL market in close proximity to their hometowns.
Uens and Votary hail from Napanee, Ont., about a half-hour drive from Kingston. While Rogers grew up about another 30 minutes west past Napanee on the 401 in Belleville.
Votary started in net, while Uens and Rogers were both in the starting lineup for the game.
