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North Bay Battalion

Battalion, Generals in Another 'Big' One

April 23, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


NORTH BAY, Ont. - If the coaches are correct, size matters.

Both Stan Butler of the North Bay Battalion and D.J. Smith of the Oshawa Generals figure that the Ontario Hockey League's Eastern Conference Championship Series is going to be a battle of size and strength, with some top-notch goaltending for good measure.

"We know that the team we're playing was first in the Eastern Conference for a reason," Butler said on a media conference call Wednesday. "We know that they're big and strong and a physical team and we've got our work cut out for us in this series."

The best-of-seven set for the Bobby Orr Trophy and a berth in the OHL Championship Series against either the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds or Erie Otters opens at Oshawa at 7:35 p.m. Friday. It's a rematch of the conference final last year, which the Battalion won in four games.

"It wasn't an accident that we went out and got bigger," allowed Smith, whose Generals acquired four players in midseason, all six feet or taller, with Michael McCarron measuring six-foot-six and 225 pounds.

"We felt manhandled in that series last year. Someone gave me a stat the other day that the four teams remaining are the four biggest teams in our league, so if you've done your research you see that big teams win in the playoffs."

Oshawa acquired centre McCarron and defenceman Dakota Mermis in separate deals with the London Knights, Matt Mistele from the Plymouth Whalers and fellow left winger Brent Pedersen from the Kitchener Rangers before the January trade deadline.

The Generals finished atop the East Division and conference with a won-lost-extended record of 51-11-6 for 108 points, behind only Sault Ste. Marie at 110. The Battalion was 37-20-11 for 85 points, second in the Central Division and third in the conference.

Oshawa was credited with 292 goals, third-most in the league, while North Bay with credited with 237. The Generals were charged with an OHL-low 157 goals against, the Battalion with a second-lowest 195.

The Generals defeated the Peterborough Petes and Niagara IceDogs in the first two playoff rounds, requiring five games in each instance. The Troops swept the Kingston Frontenacs before beating the Barrie Colts in five games.

"I'm almost glad that we lost a game in those first two rounds so that we could come back down to earth and realize what we have to do going forward," said Oshawa defenceman and captain Josh Brown, who noted that the Generals faced more adversity early in this postseason than was the case in 2014.

In its 10 games, Oshawa was led in scoring by left winger Michael Dal Colle with six goals and 15 assists for 21 points, while centre Cole Cassels had five goals and 11 assists for 16 points. McCarron, right winger Hunter Smith and defenceman Mitchell Vande Sompel had 11 points apiece, with six, five and three goals respectively.

Oshawa goaltender Ken Appleby played all but four minutes of the first two rounds, posting a goals-against average of 2.32, third in the league, and a save percentage of .918. Jake Smith has gone all the way for the Troops in the postseason, with a league-leading 2.03 GAA and a .923 save percentage.

"He's been these guys' goalie right from the get-go since I took over the team here," coach Smith said of Appleby, noting he was glad that the North Bay native, who backed up Daniel Altshuller last season, played the fourth game of the conference final at Memorial Gardens "to get a taste."

The Generals won all four meetings with the Battalion this season, with three of the games played in a 36-day span. At North Bay, the visitors won 2-1 on Oct. 23 and 5-2 on Dec. 19. At the General Motors Centre, Oshawa won 2-1 via shootout on Jan. 1 and 5-3 on Jan. 23.

The series last year saw the Battalion post wins of 1-0 and 5-2 at Oshawa and 5-3 and 3-2 at home. Nick Paul scored the only goal of the first game at 15:40 of the third period, and the middle two games each featured an empty-netter. Jamie Lewis broke a 2-2 tie at 14:27 of the final period in the clincher of what was a hotly contested set.

"We pride ourselves on being big, strong and defensive, and I believe they do as well, so I don't see much changing," said Smith.

Said Butler: "I think both teams play hockey the right way. They're big and strong, and neither team embellishes much. They play a pro-style game, and both teams play where you've got to earn everything you get against them."

Game 2 is scheduled at Oshawa at 6:05 p.m. Sunday before the series shifts to North Bay next Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

The games at Oshawa can be seen live in North Bay on TVCogeco Cable 12 and heard on Country 600 CKAT.

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