OHL North Bay Battalion

Knights Make Full Use of Power-Play Gifts

Published on December 7, 2014 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


LONDON, Ont. - Max Domi capped a five-point game by scoring the winning goal on the power play at 1:44 of overtime as the London Knights rallied to defeat the North Bay Battalion 5-4 in Ontario Hockey League action Sunday.

Domi scored two goals and added three assists, while Christian Dvorak, Mitchell Marner and Michael McCarron each had one goal and one assist for London, which overcame a 4-2 deficit with two power-play goals late in the third period to move its won-lost-extended record to 17-10-2 for 36 points, second in the Midwest Division.

Starting goaltender Michael Giugovaz allowed two goals on eight shots before giving way to Tyler Parsons to start the second period. Rookie Parsons faced 29 shots.

Kyle Wood had one goal and two assists for the Battalion, which also got goals from Jared Steege, Brenden Miller and Nick Paul. Goaltender Jake Smith made 35 saves.

North Bay is 14-7-6 for 34 points, first in the Central Division. The Battalion completed a three-game road trip, having lost 5-2 Friday night to the Sarnia Sting and 5-4 Saturday night to the Windsor Spitfires.

The Knights started clawing their way back when Paul, who had been speared, and Ray Huether drew penalties 20 seconds apart in the 17th minute of the third period. With Parsons on the bench for a sixth attacker, McCarron capitalized at 16:52, blasting a Domi feed past Smith from the left-wing circle.

At 17:11, Miller received a questionable head-checking penalty on Domi, who had whined about the officiating after the second period, and Parsons was still on the bench when Domi scored on a wrister from the slot 37 seconds later during another two-man advantage.

Wood went off for hooking Marner, who readily succumbed, 36 seconds into overtime before Domi snapped the puck past Smith, apparently screened by Marner.

Battalion coach Stan Butler voiced his displeasure with referees Seth Ferguson and Pat Myers while leaving the ice.

Steege opened the scoring at 2:38 of the first period after breaking in alone on Giugovaz. The goal, assisted by Brett McKenzie and Alex Henriksson, was Steege's fifth of the season.

Dvorak's goal at 8:15 brought a torrent of, by the official count, 9,077 stuffed toys from the Budweiser Gardens crowd of 9,046. The game was delayed 12 minutes as players from both teams helped volunteers clear the ice.

Defenceman Miller connected with the man advantage at 14:41 when his drive eluded Giugovaz, who was screened by Huether. Wood and Huether earned the assists on Miller's 10th goal.

The Troops forged a 4-1 lead with two goals 53 seconds apart early in the second period. Wood netted his ninth goal 49 seconds into the frame after Mike Amadio outdueled Aiden Jamieson along the left boards and fed the puck to defenceman Wood, who beat Parsons with a backhand deke in the goalmouth.

Paul scored his team-leading 19th goal on the power play at 1:42. Parsons stopped Wood's hard shot from the left circle, but Huether steered the rebound to Paul, who converted at the right post.

Marner replied on the power play at 14:28, sweeping a Domi feed between Smith's pads.

The Battalion hosts Windsor at 7 p.m. Thursday.

BATTALION BULLETS: For a second straight game, the Battalion played in front of the biggest crowd to see it this season. Attendance at Windsor was 5,131 ... London's 40 shots were the most the Troops have allowed ... Amadio, who had a five-game goals streak snapped, extended a points streak to six games, during which he has scored five goals and earned six assists for 11 points ... Paul has a six-game points streak. He has three goals and five assists for eight points in the span ... Battalion blueliner Marcus McIvor saw the end of a four-game assists streak during which he earned five assists ... North Bay went 2-for-4 on the power play. London was 4-for-7 ... Opening line combinations included Paul centring Hampus Olsson on left wing and Amadio on right wing, McKenzie centring Steege on left wing and right winger Henriksson and Huether pivoting left winger Mike Baird and right winger Mathew Santos. Zach Shankar, normally a defenceman, centred left winger David Sherman and Zach Poirier on right wing ... The Troops were without Owen Green, Zach Bratina and Calvin Gomes ... Domi scored all three goals, including an empty-netter, in a 3-1 road win Saturday night over the Plymouth Whalers ... London left winger Tait Seguin, a North Bay product, has one goal and one assist with 52 penalty minutes in 29 games.

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