Colts Prevail 7-4, Knotting Series
April 11, 2014 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release
BARRIE, Ont. - The Barrie Colts capitalized on the power-play largesse bestowed on them, scoring the last six goals in a 7-4 victory Thursday night over the North Bay Battalion that tied their best-of-seven Ontario Hockey League playoff series at two games each.
Barrie scored four goals on 12 power-play opportunities in rebounding from 3-0 and 4-1 deficits before referees Kendrick Nicholson and Garrett Rank watched as the game degenerated into three late fights and the crowd assailed the Battalion bench.
The bad feelings extended into the area of the media box, with two Barrie cops arriving to survey the final seconds after Barrie Molson Centre security proved inadequate.
Battalion coach Stan Butler went a step further in assessing security: "There was none."
Brendan Lemieux scored three goals and Tyson Fawcett and Zach Hall had one goal and two assists apiece for Barrie, which got one goal and one assist from Liam Maaskant in taking a second straight home-ice win in the Eastern Conference semifinal set. Garrett Hooey had the other goal for the Colts before a crowd of 4,035.
Daniel Gibl stopped 23 shots over 35:52 in two stints in relief of starting goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, who allowed all four Battalion goals on seven shots in 24:08.
Ben Thomson had one goal and one assist for the Battalion, with Barclay Goodrow, Mike Amadio and Kyle Wood also scoring. Goaltender Jake Smith faced 33 shots.
The series continues at North Bay at 7:30 p.m. Friday before returning to Barrie at 6 p.m. Sunday.
The Battalion broke to an early first-period lead, scoring three goals in a span of 3:05. Thomson intercepted a clearing attempt and snapped a shot high to Blackwood ' s glove side at 6:18 before sending Goodrow in alone on the left wing for his fifth goal of the postseason at 7:01. Amadio struck at 9:23, eluding Lemieux in the slot and slipping the puck between Blackwood's pads.
Barrie coach Dale Hawerchuk called a timeout in the wake of Amadio's goal and sent Gibl into the game for Blackwood. Gibl faced three shots, including an excellent chance by Vincent Praplan, before Blackwood returned to the net at 8:15.
Lemieux redirected a Maaskant point shot in the goalmouth at 14:29 before defenceman Wood restored North Bay ' s three-goal lead at 5:22 of the second period, converting the rebound of a Nick Paul shot from the left-wing circle. Blackwood then was pulled for the second time.
The Barrie comeback was sparked in full when Marcus McIvor and Brett McKenzie went off simultaneously for high-sticking and interference respectively at 8:05, with Lemieux scoring on the two-man advantage 36 seconds later.
The Troops again were two men short, for a scheduled 1:14, when Lemieux wired a wrister under the crossbar at 11:58, and defenceman Maaskant tied it at 14:04 on a screened lob from the top of the right circle off a faceoff.
Fawcett scored the winner at 4:39 of the third period, chipping a loose puck into the short side from the left side of the net.
Hall scored with the man advantage on a slap shot from the blue line directly from a faceoff at 13:20 to make it 6-4. The Battalion believed that McIvor then scored, but the officials refused to go to video review, and Hooey tipped home an Aaron Ekblad drive with the Troops a man short at 18:28.
Three fights broke out at 18:50 as Mike Baird tangled with Maaskant, McKenzie squared off with Jake Dotchin and Riley Bruce wrestled Barrie ' s Mitchell Theoret. All except Baird, making his OHL playoff debut, and Maaskant received game misconducts for engaging in a second fight at the same stoppage.
With security failing, unruly Colts fans hurled insults at the North Bay bench, and one threatened to become involved with a member of the Battalion staff just outside the media box.
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Ontario Hockey League Stories from April 11, 2014
- OHL Announces Rogers Western Conference Championship Series Schedule - OHL
- Otters' Connor McDavid Named OHL's Most Sportsmanlike Player - OHL
- Generals Sweep Petes and Head to the Eastern Conference Finals - Oshawa Generals
- Colts Prevail 7-4, Knotting Series - North Bay Battalion
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