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OHL North Bay Battalion

Cook Serves up Overtime Winner

October 10, 2014 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


NORTH BAY, Ont. - Holden Cook scored at 3:38 of overtime to lift the Owen Sound Attack to a 3-2 victory over the North Bay Battalion in Ontario Hockey League action Thursday night.

Cook, who also earned an assist, got the puck in the slot from Daniel Milne and snapped it past the blocker of Battalion goaltender Evan Cormier, who may have been screened by defender Brenden Miller.

Ethan Szypula and Jeffrey Gilligan also scored and Chris Bigras had two assists for Owen Sound, which moved its won-lost-extended record to 3-1-2 for eight points, tied with the Erie Otters atop the Midwest Division. Goaltender Jack Flinn made 36 saves.

Nick Paul and Zach Poirier scored for the Battalion, which lost for the first time in three games and is 2-0-2 for six points, second in the Central Division. Cormier faced 16 shots in his first action of the season.

"If you don't take care of the little things, you aren't going to win the game," said Battalion coach Stan Butler. "That's how it was tonight. On the winning goal Paul had two or three chances to get the puck out and he didn't get it out. We overpassed all night. They did what they had to do to win a road game, and if I was in their shoes I'd be happy with the game."

A crowd of 3,202 saw Swedish import Hampus Olsson make his debut with the Troops after suffering an injury in the preseason.

"He did fine for his first game," said Butler. "He's a little out of shape. It's tough when you miss that amount of time and get thrown into a game like that. Once he gets up to speed, he'll be a good player."

The visitors escaped with a 2-1 lead after the first period, in which the Battalion held a 14-8 edge in shots.

Szypula scored on the power play at 4:22. Cook swatted at the rebound of Damir Sharipzyanov's shot from the right point, and the puck squirted to Szypula, who slipped it home.

Paul tied it with the man advantage at 12:40. Alex Henriksson dished the puck to Paul, who whipped it over Flinn's glove from the high slot. The goal was Paul's third, tied for the team lead with Mike Amadio and Kyle Wood.

Gilligan replied at 15:52, cruising to the net and redirecting Ryan Heeps's shot between Cormier's legs. Referee Sean Pindar conferred with the video goal judge before indicating the goal would stand.

Poirier's first career OHL goal tied it 2-2 at 3:17 of the second period. He barged past several defenders on a solo rush, ultimately getting around Santino Centorame to flip the puck over Flinn's left pad.

"I picked off a pass and went down the ice," said Poirier. "I got a few lucky bounces, and it went into the net. I had the puck the whole way and I lost it but got it back after I went around the defenceman, and I put it on net. It was exciting. I was happy to get it."

North Bay owned the territorial edge in the period, outshooting the Attack 11-4. Flinn made three saves on Jared Steege, twice denied Olsson and snared a Zach Bratina drive in the 15th minute. Cormier made a solid save in the 10th minute, getting in front of Kyle Platzer's shot, and denied Petrus Palmu in the 11th.

The Battalion outshot Owen Sound 10-2 in the scoreless third period. Flinn was sharp on a Wood shot from the right circle in the 12th minute and denied Wood and a rebound attempt by Mathew Santos in the 17th. Cormier made a key save with the Troops shorthanded in the fifth minute, stretching to use his blocker to parry a shot from the deep slot by Zach Nastasiuk.

The Battalion visits the Guelph Storm at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the teams' first meeting since the OHL Championship Series last May. The game can be seen live in North Bay on TVCogeco Cable 12.

BATTALION BULLETS: Poirier, a resident of Mountain, Ont., was the Battalion's first-round pick in the OHL Priority Selection in April from the Upper Canada Cyclones ... Jake Smith played the first three games in goal for the Battalion, posting a goals-against average of 2.90 and a save percentage of .882 ... Olsson, selected in the first round of the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft in July, suffered an ulnar fracture of his left arm in exhibition action ... The Battalion has played beyond 60 minutes in all three home games. Two ended in overtime, one in a shootout ... The Battalion went 1-for-4 on the power play. Owen Sound was 1-for-5 ... Nastasiuk fired the puck off the right post in the 18th minute of the first period after a Battalion turnover ... Opening line combinations included Paul centring Olsson on left wing and Amadio on right wing, Brett McKenzie centring left winger Bratina and right winger Henriksson and Ray Huether pivoting Steege on left wing and right winger Santos. David Sherman centred left winger Owen Green and Poirier on right wing ... The Battalion scratched Zach Shankar, Mike Baird, Mark Shoemaker and Calvin Gomes ... Owen Sound was without Brandon Hope, Brett Hargrave, Jarett Meyer and Jaden Lindo ... North Bay product Hargrave has yet to dress in the regular season ... T.J. Foster was the other referee.

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