OHL North Bay Battalion

Battalion, Bulldogs Prepared for Battle

February 23, 2016 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


NORTH BAY, Ont. - The North Bay Battalion faces the Hamilton Bulldogs twice in three Ontario Hockey League games this week, starting at Memorial Gardens at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

While the Bulldogs entertain the Battalion at 7 p.m. Saturday in back-to-back fashion for the hosts, North Bay visits the Erie Otters at 7 p.m. Friday before facing off in Steeltown.

The Battalion sports a won-lost-extended record of 30-18-8 for 68 points, second in the East Division and third in the Eastern Conference. The Bulldogs are fighting the Oshawa Generals for fourth place in the East Division and the eighth and last conference playoff spot. Each team is 21-30-7 for 49 points, meaning the Troops clinch a playoff berth with another victory.

"George Burnett's a good coach, and they've had some big wins this year," Battalion coach Stan Butler said Tuesday of the Bulldogs, who most recently lost both ends of a home-and-home set with the Windsor Spitfires, 4-1 Saturday night at Hamilton and 6-2 Sunday at Windsor.

"There's a lot at stake for them, and he's got a good young team there. They've given everybody a tough go, and we don't expect any different tomorrow night."

Trent Fox leads the Bulldogs with 25 goals and 20 assists for 45 points in 57 games. Matt Luff has 21 goals and 23 assists for 44 points in 51 games, and Michael Cramarossa has 44 points from 14 goals and 30 assists in 54 games.

All eyes in North Bay will be on Battalion captain Mike Amadio, looking to see whether he maintains his torrid pace.

Amadio, named the OHL Player of the Week for the period ended Sunday, has 12 goals in the last five games, including three game-winners. He's on an 11-game points streak during which he has 14 goals and eight assists for 22 points.

Amadio, with 42 goals and 42 assists for 84 points in 56 games, is sixth in the OHL scoring race, which is led by Kevin Labanc of the Barrie Colts, who has 34 goals and 72 assists for 106 points in 53 games.

Amadio, Barrie's Andrew Mangiapane and Erie's Alex DeBrincat are tied for second in the league in goals, behind the London Knights' Christian Dvorak, who has 44. Amadio and Labanc are co-leaders in shorthanded goals with seven apiece.

But Amadio isn't alone among the Troops in wielding a hot stick, as linemate Mathew Santos, Zach Poirier and Brett Hargrave all have scored in each of the last three games.

Santos had two goals in a 9-1 thrashing of the visiting Sudbury Wolves on Thursday night, one in a 5-1 road win Friday night over the Mississauga Steelheads and two in a 9-3 rout of the visiting Peterborough Petes on Sunday. Santos has 24 goals and 35 assists for 59 points in 52 games.

Poirier scored two goals against Sudbury, the game-winner at Mississauga and another goal against Peterborough, while Hargrave contributed one goal in each game.

"I knew he could score goals," Butler said of Poirier, the Battalion's first-round pick in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection. "He's a character kid."

Poirier has 13 goals and seven assists for 20 points in 53 games after scoring eight goals in 60 games last season. Formerly a centre, he's played right wing in recent games on a line with Brett McKenzie and David Sherman, subbing for the suspended Mike Baird.

Hargrave, who earlier played right wing, was moved to the middle between Daniil Vertiy and Steve Harland, although Vertiy left the game Sunday with a knee injury and likely will be replaced by Max Kislinger.

"I think we've really found a spot for him at centre," Butler said of Hargrave, who was acquired in an Oct. 2 trade with the Owen Sound Attack. "It gives him a lot more room to wheel, and he seems to be way more comfortable there and is scoring some nice goals."

In 47 games, Hargrave has seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points, all career highs for the North Bay native who was the Sarnia Sting's first-round pick in 2012 and who missed all of last season after shoulder surgery.

"When you look at Hargrave, he has a lot of skill," noted Butler. "I think for a while there he probably lost his confidence before he got here, and we've just tried to work with him and be patient. I think we've found a position for him at centre, and he seems to be comfortable there."

Butler suggested something similar may be ahead for Kislinger.

"Max is a prime example of a person who doesn't realize how good he can be. I think he underestimates his abilities. I think, once he develops some inner confidence, we're going to see a lot more out of him. He's big, he's strong, he skates well. He's got a good shot."

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