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OHL North Bay Battalion

Colts Complete Rally with Overtime Winner

April 11, 2016 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


BARRIE, Ont. - Justin Scott scored two goals, including the winner at 2:35 of overtime, as the Barrie Colts rallied to defeat the North Bay Battalion 3-2 Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their Ontario Hockey League second-round playoff series.

The best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal shifts to North Bay when the Battalion hosts Game 3 at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Barrie, which trailed 2-0 halfway through the second period, found the winner when Scott took a cross-ice pass from Andrew Mangiapane and beat Battalion goaltender Jake Smith high to the stick side from the left-wing circle.

Anthony Stefano also scored and Kevin Labanc earned two assists for the Colts, who got 34 saves from goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood before 3,575 at the Barrie Molson Centre.

Mike Amadio scored both Battalion goals, setting a franchise record for career playoff goals. Mathew Santos contributed two assists for the Troops, who lost the series opener 5-2 last Thursday night. Smith faced 36 shots.

North Bay carried a 2-1 lead into the third period and tested Blackwood early, but the Colts started pressing for the tying goal and found it after some sustained pressure in Battalion territory.

Stefano was credited with the goal at 17:43 when his drive from the slot hit Smith, deflected into the air and appeared to be knocked into the net by Cordell James at the left post. Smith seemed to argue that the puck had been knocked in with a high stick but, after a brief conference with the video goal judge, referee Darcy Burchell allowed the goal to stand.

Both teams had chances the rest of the way. Smith slid in his crease to stop a Labanc shot off the left wing, and Blackwood blocked a hard Santos backhander from the left circle.

The first period was a tight-checking affair until Amadio struck for two goals in a span of 29 seconds.

Amadio drove to the net and buried the rebound of a Santos shot off the right wing at 13:16 before scooping up a loose puck in the slot and whipping it past Blackwood's blocker. Santos earned the lone assist on the first goal, while Maurizio Colella and Santos assisted on the second. It was Amadio's 11th goal of the playoffs, two behind Scott's league-leading total.

Both teams recorded 10 shots in the period. Smith was sharp when Labanc attempted to convert the rebound of a Rasmus Andersson shot while parked at the lip of the crease. Smith challenged Mangiapane alone in the slot and kicked away a Mangiapane chance from in close.

The Troops thought they'd taken a 3-0 lead on the power play at 4:15 of the second period when Amadio converted from the slot, but referee Mike Marley waved the goal off, ruling Kyle Wood had interfered with Blackwood.

The Colts tested Smith several times over the first half of the frame. Labanc missed the net on a shorthanded breakaway, Smith turned aside two good chances from Giordano Finoro, and Zachary Magwood grazed the right post from the slot.

Barrie finally beat Smith at 10:48 when Scott buried a Labanc pass from the left circle.

The Colts had two excellent chances with the Battalion shorthanded late in the period, but Scott steered a Labanc pass just wide of the left post and Labanc fired the puck off the crossbar.

BATTALION BULLETS: The Battalion has an all-time won-lost record of 11-20 in playoff overtime. It was the Troops' third overtime game this season after they split two decisions against the Peterborough Petes in the first round ... Amadio became the Battalion's all-time leading playoff goal scorer. His 21 goals are one more than Cody Hodgson's total. Amadio, with 19 assists for 40 points, moved two points ahead of Wojtek Wolski for second place on the franchise's career playoff points list ... Santos was assessed a tripping minor and now has 44 penalty minutes in playoffs, tied with Sam Carrick for ninth place in franchise annals ... Amadio, Santos and Wood all played a 51st playoff game, one more than Barclay Goodrow and second on the franchise list. Brett McKenzie played his 46th postseason game, one more than Matt MacLeod and eighth all-time ... The Battalion went 0-for-3 on the power play. Barrie was 0-for-2 ... North Bay scratched Jake Ramalho and Brett Hargrave ... Ruan Badenhorst backed up Blackwood in place of David Ovsjannikov ... Dale Hawerchuk has been signed to a new three-year contract as head coach of the Colts. He is in his sixth season with the club ... Among the Colts' scratches were forwards Dylan Sadowy, who has sat out the team's last three games, and Julius Nattinen, who left the series opener early.

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