OHL North Bay Battalion

North Bay, Sudbury Battling for a 'W'

January 24, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


NORTH BAY, Ont. - The North Bay Battalion looks to get off a slide when the Sudbury Wolves visit Memorial Gardens at 1 p.m. Sunday. The Wolves look to end a nightmarish run.

While the Battalion has lost three straight games, Sudbury has lost its last 13, with a won-lost-extended record of 0-12-1 in that span, having garnered a point only in a 5-4 loss via shootout to the host Mississauga Steelheads on Dec. 21.

The Battalion's brightest spot recently has been Mike Amadio, who has four goals and six assists for 10 points in his last four Ontario Hockey League games.

Amadio, moved to centre from right wing with Nick Paul shifting to the left side, scored shorthanded and added two assists Friday night in a 5-3 road loss to the Oshawa Generals. Amadio's goal pulled the Troops within 4-3 at 19:45 of the third period.

North Bay was blanked 3-0 at home by the Saginaw Spirit on Thursday night, but Amadio had two goals and two assists in the Battalion's previous game, a 6-5 overtime loss last Saturday night to the host Erie Otters.

The night before that, he scored at 19:18 of the third period to precipitate overtime in a 4-3 road victory over the Niagara IceDogs. Amadio then earned his second assist on Ryan Kujawinski's overtime winner.

In 42 games, Amadio has team-leading totals of 22 goals, 26 assists and 48 points. Paul is second with 21 goals and 17 assists for 38 points, while Brenden Miller has 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points in 42 games.

Sudbury, which hasn't won since a 3-1 verdict Dec. 13 over the visiting Kingston Frontenacs, has scored the fewest goals and allowed the most in the league. The Wolves' current woes helped cost coach Paul Fixter his job, which was assumed on an interim basis by David Matsos.

Sudbury is led offensively by Nathan Pancel, who has 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 points in 35 games. Matt Schmalz leads the club in goals with 18 while having added 13 assists for 31 points in 43 games.

North Bay, which has won the first four of eight meetings with Sudbury, is 21-12-9 for 51 points, second in the Central Division. The division rival Wolves, with the league's worst record, are 7-34-2 for 16 points.

The game will see leading minor hockey teams in the Coach4Food program honoured. Leading teams also earn practices with Battalion coaches.

The start time, one hour earlier than usual on a Sunday, is to accommodate TVCogeco's Hockey Day in the OHL tripleheader for the North Bay region. Other centres are to see only two later games or, in the case of St. Catharines, an IceDogs game followed by programming already under way.

Check out the North Bay Battalion Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 24, 2015


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