Resilient Battalion Defeats Generals 6-1
April 24, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release
OSHAWA, Ont. - The North Bay Battalion shook off a slow start and rallied to a 6-1 victory Friday night over the Oshawa Generals in the opening game of the Ontario Hockey League's Eastern Conference Championship Series.
Nick Moutrey scored two goals, while Zach Poirier, Ray Huether, Nick Paul and Zach Bratina provided singles as goaltender Jake Smith made 30 saves before a crowd of 5,555 that included a vocal busload of fans from North Bay.
Michael McCarron opened the scoring for Oshawa, which finished atop the East Division and conference. Starting goaltender Ken Appleby gave up five goals on 27 shots before giving way to Jeremy Brodeur, who allowed one goal on two shots by the official count.
The second game of the best-of-seven series, a rematch of the conference final last year which the Battalion swept, is scheduled at the General Motors Centre at 6:05 p.m. Sunday.
The third-seeded Troops, down 1-0 after 20 minutes, scored three goals in the second period, sparked by rookie Poirier's goal at 3:55. Mike Amadio got the puck behind the net and fed it in front to the onrushing Poirier alone in the slot for the conversion and his first OHL playoff goal.
Huether split the defence and went in alone on Appleby to score at 13:12. It was Huether's third goal of the postseason.
The Battalion were two men short for 1:46 after Marcus McIvor and Mathew Santos went off for holding and tripping respectively in the 16th minute, with McIvor having been hauled down and held himself by Matt Mistele.
Penalty killer Paul charged to the net with the puck and had it wind up past Appleby off sliding defender Cole Cassels. Paul's team-leading seventh goal of the playoffs was the first goal the Troops have scored while two men short in franchise history.
Bratina darted between defenders and beat Appleby between the legs at 2:49 of the third period before Moutrey took over for the final two tallies.
Moutrey went to the net and took a pass from Brenden Miller on the left wing to end Appleby's action at 6:33. Moutrey then beat Brodeur from a sharp angle in the right-wing circle on a pass from Ryan Kujawinski at 16:37.
The Battalion, which got into early penalty trouble when Smith was whistled for delay of game nine seconds after the opening faceoff, served two more penalties in the period, including another delay-of-game call against Austin Kosack, but managed to kill them.
McCarron backhanded home the rebound of a shot by Tobias Lindberg at 10:12.
Oshawa had a 12-8 edge in shots on goal in the frame, as the Troops failed to generate sustained offence. Their best chance came when Paul drove down the left wing to the net, forcing a glove save by Appleby at 13:34.
Game 2 can be seen live in North Bay on TVCogeco Cable 12 and heard on Country 600 CKAT.
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