Ian Watters scored the only goal of a shootout to lift the Brampton Battalion to a 2-1 Ontario Hockey League victory Saturday night over the Oshawa Generals.

Watters, the first Battalion shooter, beat Oshawa goaltender Michael Zador with a wrist shot before Zador stopped Sean Jones, who had scored in regulation time.

Battalion goaltender Patrick Killeen faced Andy Andreoff, Christian Thomas and Calvin de Haan of the Generals, who shot first in each round. Killeen denied Andreoff and de Haan and watched as Thomas lost control of the puck halfway between the blue line and crease.

Killeen made 25 saves through overtime, including a game-saving right-pad stop on Jeff Hayes in tight on Oshawa’s only shot in the extra period, as the Battalion moved its won-lost-extended record to 12-11-4 for 28 points, third in the Central Division.

Thomas scored for Oshawa, and Zador made 35 saves through overtime, including eight in the extra session. The Generals, 8-14-4 for 20 points, fifth in the East Division, have lost six straight. Their last win was a 2-1 decision via shootout against the host Belleville Bulls on Nov. 11.

“Both goalies played well,” said Battalion coach Stan Butler. “The teams are somewhat similar in that they’re both good defensively and have trouble scoring. When you add that to good goaltending like that, it makes for a really low-scoring game.”

Said Butler of Watters: “He’s really good in the shootout in practice, and you’ve got to use the guys who are good in practice. It was good to see him score.”

Jones tied it 1-1 at 15:21 of the second period, taking a lead pass from Barclay Goodrow and breaking in alone to snap a shot behind Zador. It was Jones’s team-leading 18th goal of the season.

Thomas had a breakaway in the fourth minute of the period, but Killeen got his catching glove on the shot, and the puck deflected to come to rest just outside the post to the goaltender’s right.

Brad Albert drew a slashing call for his efforts to impede Thomas, and Oshawa got a two-man advantage lasting 1:12 when Thomas Stajan went off for slashing. The Generals generated one shot with the double advantage.

Thomas scored the only goal of the first period on a power play at 4:56, wiring a shot from the left-wing circle on assists from John Padulo and de Haan.

Alex O’Neil and Oshawa’s Emerson Clark twice got into rough stuff. Each received a double minor for roughing at 2:02. In the second go-round at 15:32, Clark didn’t throw a punch while having his helmet knocked off amid a flurry of blows by O’Neil.

The Battalion, which had an 11-7 edge in first-period shots, managed just two during a two-man advantage lasting 1:28 after Scott Valentine and Boone Jenner drew holding and hooking penalties respectively in the seventh minute.

Oshawa’s Victor Terreri objected to Cameron Wind’s check on Padulo, jumping the defenceman at 10:02. Wind and Terreri, who inexplicably escaped without an instigating minor, received fighting majors, and the Battalion bench was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct minor after Butler complained to referee David Koziel.

Battalion scratches were Scott Tanski, Cody Hodgson and Shane Kinsella. Oshawa scratched Andrew Wilson, Jakub Strnad and Daniel Pachis.

The Battalion hosts the Ottawa 67’s at 2 p.m. Sunday.

BATTALION NOTEBOOK: Announced attendance at the General Motors Centre was 3,944 … The Battalion went 0-for-4 on the power play. Oshawa was 1-for-4 … The Troops, with four wins in their last six road games, are 6-5-1 off the bus, while the Generals are 3-5-3 at home … The Battalion had a two-minute power play in overtime, with Ken Peroff leading the shots count from his position at the blue line. Arena staff had to reinsert a stanchion behind Zador before the power play got under way … Jones, who has four goals in the last three games, became the first Battalion player to score in three straight games this season … Killeen played his 100th OHL game and is the fifth Battalion goaltender to reach that plateau. Brad Topping holds the club career record with 148 appearances in goal. Killeen made his 90th start, fifth on the all-time list… Opening line combinations included Sam Carrick centring left winger Jones and right winger Philip Lane, Stajan pivoting left winger Stephon Thorne and Goodrow on right wing and Craig Moore centring left winger Watters and right winger Matt MacLeod. Domenic Alberga centred left winger O’Neil and Ben Alavie on right wing … Alavie is the second Battalion defenceman to see action at right wing this season. Rookie Zach Bell, who dressed for the first time in three games, moved up in a 2-0 win Nov. 9 over the visiting London Knights … Oshawa also dressed 11 forwards and seven defencemen … Tanski lost a third game to a separated shoulder, while Kinsella was a healthy scratch … Thomas has a four-game goals streak … Scott Ferguson was the second referee … The Battalion hosts Oshawa next Thursday night in the second of four season meetings.