While it is highly unlikely the Kingston Frontenacs will make the Ontario Hockey League playoffs, the team delivered a playoff-type effort against the Oshawa Generals on Friday night.

Against an East Division rival that throttled them 11-3 less than a week ago, the Frontenacs fought tooth and nail against Oshawa

The Frontenacs (14-30-2-2) celebrated with a playoff-type empty off the bench scene after captain Cody Alcock scored at 3:30 of overtime for a 2-1 Kingston victory before 2,687 at the K-Rock Centre.

“If we listen to coach, a lot of good things will happen. Tonight everyone bought in, we listened to him and look what happens,” Alcock said.

“It took everyone to do it. Everyone had to bear down, including our goaltender. We ended up battling and coming out on top.”

Defenceman Warren Steele won his battle along the boards deep in Oshawa territory and he hit Alcock in the slot to set up the winner.

“(Steele) supported great. I yelled for it and he passed to me. And boom ... home,” Alcock said.

Oshawa (21-21-2-3) had used Matt Petgrave’s goal at 10:00 of the third period to draw even.

It was the third time the teams have gone to overtime and the second win Kingston has had in an extra period against the Gens this season

“It is amazing what hard work and commitment will do,” said coach Todd Gill, who was proud of his team's effort 24 hours after taking his team to task for listless play in a loss in Peterborough.

“They gave me everything they had and that’s all I can ask,” Gill said.

“We supported, we fought for pucks, blocked shots and were hard back on the check.”

Gill said that type of hockey has to be the identity of the team as it pushes on to end the season positively and set the stage for next season.

“They should all feel tired tonight and feel good about themselves. That’s the feeling I want for the rest of the season and getting ready for next year,” Gill said.

It remained a 1-0 game after two periods on Braydon Blight’s first OHL goal in the opening frame.

Igor Bobkov made two dazzling stops early in the period.

The Frontenacs killed off four Oshawa power plays and were full credit for limiting the shots on net with their active stick work and body blocks.

One of the penalties, a holding the stick call against Warren Steele who had Oshawa’s Scott Sabourin, took Kingston out of a power play. The fans let referee Korey Bannerman know they were not in agreement with what was a weak penalty.

Kingston started taking it to Oshawa and it showed on the shot clock in the second period.

Goaltender Kevin Bailie got the top half of his stick to take away a backhand shot by Wilton's Darcy Greenaway that was headed to the top corner.

The Generals held a 25-23 edge in shots after two periods.

Defenceman Blight made a good read on the play which led to his first OHL goal. Some good work behind the Oshawa net by Ryan Kujawinski and Billy Jenkins forced a turnover. Jenkins came out of the corner and saw Blight moving down to top of the faceoff circle.

Blight took the pass and went upstairs under the crossbar. Kujawinski, didn’t get an assist on the play although he was certainly instrumental in setting up the goal.

The opening period was played exactly the way one might expect, given the Frontenacs gave up 11 goals in their last run-in with the Generals.

Coach Gill has worked at practice implementing a zone defence, in part to take some of the stress off his defence. The result was that although Oshawa had 16 first-period shots, they were all the type which don’t give Bobkov any trouble.

GAME NOTES

The lineup scratches for Kingston — defenceman Andrew Tessier and forward Jacob Smith — indicated two of the players who were not in coach Gill’s good books following Thursday’s loss in Peterborough. Tessier sat out even though it meant going with just five defencemen. ... In the second period when two Frontenac defencemen were in the penalty box, Conor Stokes dropped back from the wing to take a shift on defence. ... There two Gudbransons on hand last night but neither was playing. Florida Panthers’ Erik Gudbranson, enjoying the NHL all-star break, did the opening faceoff ceremony in his return to his junior hockey home. Brother Alex, a current member of the Frontenacs, was sitting out his final game of a 10-game suspension. He will play Sunday when Kingston hosts the Sarnia Sting, who have former Frontenacs Ryan Spooner, Tyler Brown and Charlie Sarault on their roster