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North Bay Battalion

Brazeau Nets 50th in Win

February 23, 2019 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


WINDSOR, Ont. - Matthew Struthers scored six seconds into overtime and added an assist as the North Bay Battalion defeated the Windsor Spitfires 4-3 in Ontario Hockey League action Saturday night.

Justin Brazeau scored two goals, pushing his season total to 50 to tie a franchise record, and assisted on the winner as the Battalion continued a three-game road trip.

Cameron Peters also scored for North Bay, which moved its won-lost-extended record to 26-27-5 for 57 points, fourth in the Central Division and seventh in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the East Division's Peterborough Petes, who lost 5-0 to the host Niagara IceDogs. Goaltender Christian Propp made 40 saves as the Battalion snapped a three-game losing skid.

It was the Battalion's first regular-season win at Windsor since a 3-2 decision Oct. 30, 2004, at the Windsor Arena, the Spitfires' home before moving to the WFCU Centre in 2008. Ryan Oulahen, the captain that season and later an assistant coach with the club, scored the winning goal on the power play at 6:55 of the second period.

The Battalion went 0-10-3 in its next 13 regular visits but prevailed 4-2 at Windsor on May 4, 2009, in Game 3 of the OHL Championship Series, which the Spitfires won in five games.

Tyler Angle scored two goals and Jordan Frasca had one for Windsor, 24-29-7 for 55 points, fourth in the West Division and eighth in the Western Conference. Goaltender Colton Incze faced 31 shots before a crowd of 4,641.

The Troops trailed 3-2 after 40 minutes but wasted no time tying the game as Brazeau seized a turnover and put a wrister high over Incze's glove 19 seconds into the third period. The unassisted goal made Brazeau the second player in franchise history to reach 50 goals after Mike Amadio accomplished the feat in 68 games in 2015-16.

In overtime, Brazeau charged into Windsor territory from the opening faceoff and fired the puck at Incze, who kicked the rebound to Struthers, open on the left side for his 26th goal.

It set a franchise record for the fastest goal to start a period, surpassing Evgeny Grachev's goal seven seconds into the second period of a 4-3 win over the Kingston Frontenacs at Brampton on Oct. 30, 2008.

Windsor dominated the first period, outshooting North Bay 15-6, but couldn't beat Propp until a power-play effort at 19:37, when Angle drove to the net off the left wing and lifted a backhander high over the goaltender's glove.

Brazeau had the Battalion's best chances, rushing to the net in the seventh minute and then forcing Incze to make a tough pad save as Brazeau barreled off the right wing in the 20th.

Brazeau tied it at 2:42 of the second period. Incze blocked a Theo Calvas drive from the slot and the puck landed at the left post, where Brazeau poked it home. Struthers had the second assist.

Peters connected at 4:32 for a 2-1 lead, wheeling clockwise behind the net and tucking the puck inside the right post on the wraparound. The unassisted goal was Peters's second. His first came in the season opener, a 7-5 home-ice decision Sept. 21 over the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Angle struck again on the power play at 11:31 as he snapped the puck to the far side from the inner edge of the left-wing circle for his 19th goal, and the Spitfires regained the lead at 18:08 on Frasca's ninth goal. Propp stopped a close-range chance for Cole Purboo, but the puck got behind the goaltender to the goal line and Frasca knocked it into the net.

The Battalion visits the London Knights at 2 p.m. Sunday to wrap up the road trip. The game can be heard live on Country 600 CKAT.

BATTALION BULLETS: With Windsor having won 4-2 at North Bay on Jan. 31, the teams split their season series ... The Battalion went 5-5-2 against West Division teams ... In 258 games, Brazeau has 117 goals and 101 assists for 218 points, eclipsing Luke Lynes by three points for sole possession of sixth place in franchise history. Brazeau had gone a season-high three games without registering a point before erupting against Windsor ... The Battalion didn't have a power-play opportunity, while Windsor went 2-for-4 with the man advantage ... North Bay, which dressed 17 skaters, one below the limit, was without Travis Mailhot, Daniel Walker, David Maier, Kurtis Evans, Brandon Coe and Brad Chenier ... Luke Burghardt, who fell ill during a 6-2 loss Friday night to the Sarnia Sting, and Patrick Brown, who suffered an arm injury, were game-time decisions who made the lineup. Calvas left the Windsor game after feeling sick ... Coe completed a two-game suspension for a gesture to the crowd Monday in a 6-3 loss to the host Ottawa 67's ... Chenier has a head injury, Maier an upper-body injury suffered in practice and Walker a sore shoulder ... Windsor, which dressed 16 skaters, scratched Grayson Ladd and Kyle McDonald ... Angle has three goals and two assists for five points in the last four games ... The referees were Patrick Battista and Joe Monette.

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