Oshawa hits road up 2-0 after blanking Connor McDavid: OHL post-game questions

It was closer than the score indicated. Or perhaps it was not, since the Oshawa Generals clamped down on Connor McDavid during a taut Game 2 that was level for 2½ periods before they pulled away for the 5-1 win on Saturday and the two-game series lead.

A bounce, or break, or one fewer save by Ken Appleby (32 saves) and McDavid and mates might have had their desired split on the road. Instead, their actions say they've scored two goals in as many games.

"We had a good push in the third and Kenny found a way to make those saves," Generals coach D.J. Smith stated on Saturday evening. "Our guys fed off the crowd, from the saves, and found a way to score some goals. They played us hard and it could have gone the other way."

"Kenny made five or six unbelievable saves that held us in the game tonight," Smith added. "You could say the same for [Erie's Devin] Williams. But Kenny's taken his game to another level. In saying that, it's going to be a real tough task to go into their building and do what we've done here."

Oshawa 5 Erie 1 (Generals lead 2-0, Otters host games 3 and 4 on Monday and Wednesday) — How do the Otters rationalize away the outcome, when it looks Oshawa's team concept is consuming Connor McDavid? The Generals, thus far, have a total buy-in to playing chokeout hockey that slows down skating, speedy teams. McDavid's chances at 5-on-5, as David Staples detailed over The Cult of Hockey, have been limiited. It hasn't just been the so-called "no-name" Generals such as first defence pair Josh Brown and Dakota Mermis and wing Bradley Latour; Vancouver Canucks signing Cole Cassels and Ottawa Senators fourth-rounder Tobias Lindberg have also been big factors. Lindberg shone on Saturday at picking up McDavid in transition.

Erie merited better than a 1-1 tie through 40 minutes, but an Appleby save on a Nick Baptiste chance in the last minute of the second bought they time to regroup. They killed off another penalty early in the third before going ahead.

"We had a lot more jump, our execution was a lot better," Otters coach Kris Knoblauch said. "The story was missed opportunities by us. We had plenty of opportunities to get a lead. Their special teams were better than ours. They had two power-play goals and we were not able to capitalized.

"Our game was good enough," Knoblauch added. "I'm not concerned at all."

How surprising is it that Oshawa is up 2-0? It is analogous to the 2014 Memorial Cup final, which matched the more rough-hewn Edmonton Oil Kings, who didn't lack for high-end talent, matching up against the perhaps more statistically impressive (and more rested) Guelph Storm. In that one-game all-the-marbles matchup, Edmonton kept Guelph isolated out on the perimeter and won 6-3.

The Generals are the older team, and as Knoblauch alluded to on Friday, perhaps the reason they didn't finish first overall was that tailed off late in the season after clinching first place in the Eastern Conference early.

"They showed time in and time out that they can play with anybody," Smith said. "Maybe some people are surprised, but I'm not. We play hard for each other."

The Generals coach has done a masterful psyche job. Last Wednesday, Smith demurred from saying his team is a favourite and, unprompted, pointed out the Eastern Conference has a long collective championship drought, with Western teams having won eight straight titles and 11-of-12. Translated, that suggests he's got a veteran team to believe they are pesky underdogs.

What happened to Appleby in the first? The goalie needed some on-the-spot physiotherapy after a teammate fell on his right leg during a goalmouth scramble. The assistance held up play for several minutes.

"He had a little bit of a muscle spasm but he was fine," Smith explained.

How capable is Erie of turning the tide on home ice, where it is 8-1 in the post-season? For all practical purposes, the Otters have to hold serve and reduce this to a best-of-3 come Game 5 on Friday evening. (That's likely also what Sportsnet, which would pick up the series at that point, wants.) Knoblauch will be able to get McDavid and Dylan Strome into more favourable matchups and zone starts. Given the paucity of chances they've had at 5-on-5, home cooking might seem like thin gruel.

"A lot of times in the playoffs, teams are really good on home ice and we just have to respond," Baptiste said.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.