Third Period Comeback Stopped in Overtime in North Bay
OHL Brantford Bulldogs

Third Period Comeback Stopped in Overtime in North Bay

Published on January 22, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brantford Bulldogs News Release


*** Part 1.1 -NORTH BAY, ON. The Brantford Bulldogs opened back-to-back games in northern Ontario by paying visit to the Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens in North Bay on Thursday for the team's second meeting of the season with the Battalion.

David Egorov was sharp to open the contest, seeing the Battalion for the first time this season, and denying an early glove side opportunity on a partial break from Nick Wellenreiter. The Bulldogs turned the momentum quickly getting to an early power-play and striking as Caleb Malhotra, off the right-wing side fed across to Jake O'Brien where the captain placed a perfect pass for Marek Vanacker to carry on and shelve his 31st of the season over Jack Lisson for a 1-0 Bulldogs lead. The visitors nearly made it a 2-0 game when Ryder Boulton fed Dylan Tsherna low to cut across the front of the net, turning to his backhand Tsherna stretched Lisson to his limit but the Battalion netminder made an impressive save to keep it a 1-0 game. The Battalion made the Lisson an important one at 15:28 when Kaden Pitre shovelled the puck out of his own zone, sending Lirim Amidovski away on the right-wing side where he bolted in his 14th of the season to tie the game 1-1.

Before the period was out the Bulldogs shifted the momentum once again. Zack Sandhu held the puck at the blueline, moving it on for Cooper Dennis at the slot where the crafty winger shifted it to the bottom of the left circle for Jake O'Brien who beat Lisson five-hole top give the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead through 20 minutes.

The middle frame wasn't what the Brantford Bulldogs were looking for as the team was assessed 4 minor power-plays and although North Bay only struck on one, they still found themselves in a trail position. It began at 5:48 of the middle frame with Lirim Amidovski tipping in a Kent Greer point shot on the man advantage to knot the game at 2-2 on his 2nd of the game & 15th of the season. Following the goal, David Egorov made a spectacular stop on Nick Wellenreiter driving in off the left-wing side and dragging across the front but couldn't beat Egorov's toe keeping the game 2-2. After the Bulldogs killed off their 3rd & 4th penalties of the period, the Battalion struck in the last minute after Kaden Pitre won the puck in the offensive zone and fed Lirim Amidovski whose initial shot was blocked but Sebastian Gervais was on the doorstep to sweep in the rebound to give the Battalion their first lead at 19:15. The Bulldogs came close to tieing just 10-seconds later when Marek Vanacker stole the puck off an errant d-to-d pass in the North Bay zone but Jack Lisson laid out in his crease to keep the Battalion ahead going to the third.

The third period saw the Bulldogs mount a comeback late in the frame beginning at 17:20, David Egorov was called to the bench for an extra attacker with the game 4-on-4 to create a 5-on-4 advantage. Caleb Malhotra scooped the puck at the right side of the net across the crease for Charlie Paquette on the left side whose initial drive was stopped only to have the rebound land for Jake O'Brien to hammer in his 2nd of the game and 14th of the season to tie the game 3-3. Just 43-seconds later, Gabriel Frasca tossed the puck forward for Marek Vanacker in the middle of the ice, directing the pass left for Cooper Dennis who flew through the left circle and snapped a shot through Jack Lisson, recording his 25th of the season giving the Bulldogs a 4-3 lead. With the Battalion getting the extra attacker on the ice, a long point drive from Shamar Moses deflected right to Lirim Amidovski to record his hat-trick goal, tying the game at 19:13 and sending the game to overtime. Despite late chances in the overtime frame from Charlie Paquette and Gabriel Frasca, at 4:55, Brandt Harper carried forward and dealt the puck for Kaden Pitre who fired from the top of the left circle to give the Battalion the extra point in a 5-4 overtime win.

The Brantford Bulldogs return to action on Friday night, January 23rd, visiting the Sudbury Wolves for the first time on the season with a 7:00pm puck drop.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 22, 2026


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