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OHL North Bay Battalion

Battalion 'Riding the Wave'

January 2, 2019 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


NORTH BAY, Ont. - A seven-game losing streak is fading into memory for the North Bay Battalion, which has resumed the winning ways it displayed entering the Ontario Hockey League's Christmas break and now is riding a six-game winning streak.

North Bay, with a won-lost-extended record of 17-18-2 for 36 points, fourth in the Central Division, plays host to the Oshawa Generals at 7 p.m. Thursday in the first of three games this week. The Battalion has 31 games left, 18 at home and 13 on the road.

"I'm not sure that we were as bad as a seven-game losing streak," assistant coach Adam Dennis said Wednesday of the turnaround. "I thought there were a couple of games that we probably should have won in that time frame. The other thing is it's junior hockey, and there are lots of peaks and valleys. We'd like to be a bit more consistent.

"Having said that, I think that there's a few things that have stepped up for us. We get David Maier back after the break, which gives us a little bit more depth on (defence). Luke Burghardt gets his feet under him a little bit more. You go into the break on a three-game streak and everybody's feeling good about themselves and excited to come back. So we're riding the wave right now.

"We're happy to be in a wave, and you like to keep them as long as you can, but there's definitely still a lot of things to work on, because I don't think we've been perfect over the last three games as well."

Back from the holiday hiatus, the visiting Battalion defeated the Sudbury Wolves 5-3 last Friday night as rookie Harrison Caines scored two goals, including the winner, blanked the host Barrie Colts 3-0 Saturday night with goaltender Christian Propp providing 15 saves in his first shutout of the season and downed Sudbury 5-2 Monday at Memorial Gardens in the traditional New Year's Eve game as Brad Chenier and Justin Brazeau each scored two goals.

Coach Stan Butler returned to the bench at Sudbury after a 30-game stretch of medical leave dating to Sept. 30 at Oshawa that saw the Troops go 13-15-2 in his absence. Dennis, who ran the bench with fellow assistant Scott Wray while Butler was sidelined, suggested that things are somewhat clearer with him back.

"I think that there's less confusion on who's the voice. Everybody knows when Stan's back there he's the voice and he's the guy that's going to be making the calls, and Scott and I look to him for his guidance too. For the players, it's a little bit back to normal."

Right winger Brazeau, who leads the OHL in scoring with 37 goals and 30 assists for 67 points in 37 games, is two goals shy of his career-best 39 last season and is a strong threat to break Mike Amadio's franchise record of 50 single-season goals, set in 2015-16. The franchise's single-season points record is 128, from 47 goals and 81 assists in 56 games, set by Wojtek Wolski in 2005-06 when the Troops still were in Brampton.

Dennis said that Propp, who has played all of the last seven games, has "calmed things down" recently and been a pillar in the crease.

"There have been stretches over our last couple of games where our team's been down a bit, when we've been having pressure in our zone, and he's really held the fort strong for us and given us a chance to win."

Propp professed no problem with the workload.

"I want that net every night, and I'll do what it takes to try to get that net every night."

The Battalion made its third player acquisition since the start of the season, after defenceman Theo Calvas and centre Mason Primeau, when it sent forward Adam McMaster to the Owen Sound Attack for centre Mitchell Russell in a trade last Friday. Russell promptly registered a goal and an assist at Sudbury before scoring again at Barrie.

"We got a year younger but we got a very good player, and obviously we gave up a very good player, so for us, in the grand scheme of things, we get an extra year," noted Dennis. "We get a guy that can play centre as a right shot and, on the other side, McMaster gets a new opportunity in Owen Sound."

Dennis allowed that, with the trade deadline looming next week, there's been talk about potential player movement. Brazeau's performance likely has put him on the wish list of every club gearing up for a playoff run.

"Everyone seems to be categorized as either buyers or sellers. We're in the business of making our team better. I think we did that and, yeah, we got younger at the same time, so that was important for us. This time of year you're going to get calls. There's conversation going on.

"What's important for our group to realize is that, if they like being together, keep this streak alive and we'll keep it together."

The Battalion visits Owen Sound on Saturday night and the Guelph Storm on Sunday to complete weekend play.

"There's 31 games left, so every game is playoff hockey," said Dennis. "We're in another race to not only get into the playoffs but to jockey for position, and there's room to go either way, so really for us every game is meaningful and every game is important."

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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