The Cochrane Generals picked the ideal time to end the seven-game winning streak of the High River Flyers last night (Feb. 20) in game one of the first round of HJHL playoffs.

Ahead 2-0 after two periods, the Gens held off a determined Flyers team in the third period to dash any hopes of a comeback with an empty netter by Diago Coelho to win 3-0.

Gens goalie Braydon Yonin turned away 20 shots for the shut out.

The win puts the Gens in the driver's seat in the short best-of-three series that heads to High River on Thursday night.

Noah Nardella scored a short-handed goal to put the Gens on the scoreboard at 11:27 of the first from Tristan Ripplinger and Stephen Jones. A point shot by James Quaife ricochet into the net at 12:21 of the second to widen the gap. Evan Plewes and Noah Nardella drew assists.

Gens head coach Kurtis Jones says the win was the result of a total team effort.

"Everybody came to play, and that's what we've been asking for the last two months, and we finally got it, so it was good to see," says Jones. "Five-on-five, I'm pretty sure we won that battle."

The peak performance is something the Gens have been building towards in a season with its share of ups and downs. They've suffered from a costly third period fade that was a major factor in their fourth-place finish in the regular season. 

"I think the brotherhood we have created over the season is really paying off going into the playoffs," says team captain Tristan Ripplinger, the league's top trigger. "Something just felt different coming into the room today. It felt like everybody had each other's back and we were ready to win this game."

But it takes two to win. The Flyers has had some wind beneath their wings coming into the playoffs and will be looking to soar in game two. Should they, the series returns to Cochrane on Friday night.

Elsewhere in the HJHL tonight, the Three Hills Trashers and Airdrie Thunder meet in the first game of their north division series. Even though the game is being held at Airdrie's Ron Ebbesen Arena, the Thrashers finished ahead of the Thunder in the regular season.