OHL North Bay Battalion

Troops Overcome Kingston

Published on November 6, 2021 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


KINGSTON, Ont. - Kyle Jackson scored three goals, including the winner, and added an assist to power the North Bay Battalion to a 5-4 victory over the Kingston Frontenacs in an Ontario Hockey League game Friday night.

Matvey Petrov had one goal and three assists, Liam Arnsby contributed the other goal and Brandon Coe provided three assists for North Bay, which has a won-lost-extended record of 8-5-0 for 16 points atop the Eastern Conference and Central Division.

Goaltender Joe Vrbetic made 31 saves, including 16 in the first period, in backstopping the Troops to a second road win in two nights after a 6-3 decision over the Peterborough Petes.

Lucas Edmonds scored two goals and added an assist and Shane Wright also had two goals for Kingston, 5-3-2 for 12 points, fourth in the East Division. Goaltender Leevi Merilainen faced 27 shots before 3,437 at the Leon's Centre.

The Battalion, which trailed 3-2 entering the third period, tied it at 2:52 after a blind, backhanded Lucas Peric clearing attempt off the end boards went to Josh Currie, who fed Arnsby at the left side for the conversion over a sprawling Merilainen.

Jackson, who struck during a two-man advantage at 7:03 when he chipped home a Petrov pass, then drove to the net to bury a pass from Coe at 14:24 off a two-on-one rush against Quinton Burns. Petrov also assisted on Jackson's sixth goal of the season, which proved to be the winner after Kingston scored late.

Merilainen went to the bench for an extra attacker with 1:30 left to play, and Jackson took a delay-of-game penalty at 18:47, giving the Frontenacs a six-on-four skating advantage. They capitalized at 19:16 when Wright rifled the puck from the left-wing circle past a screened Vrbetic.

After Merilainen returned to the bench with 28 seconds left, Vrbetic was called on to deny a Paul Ludwinski effort in the final seconds.

Wright opened the scoring at 3:14 of the first period when he cruised across the goalmouth and buried a Martin Chromiak pass, but the Battalion responded with two goals a minute apart.

Petrov beat Merilainen low to the glove side at 11:43, with Jackson and Coe assisting on the Russian import's team-leading 10th goal. Jackson then connected on the power play, tipping a Petrov shot inside the left post. Coe had the second assist.

Seconds after Vrbetic foiled Ludwinski twice at the lip of the crease, Edmonds tied it by banking the puck off the goaltender from behind the goal line at 15:11.

Edmonds restored Kingston's lead at 10:06 of the middle period. Ludwinski exited the penalty box, raced into the Battalion zone with the puck and fed it to Edmonds, who fired a wrister over Vrbetic's glove from between the circles.

Each team had 12 shots in the frame, with Vrbetic facing the tougher chances, but he foiled Chromiak on a breakaway and turned away Edmonds, Christopher Thibodeau, Jackson Stewart and Paul Hughes. The Troops' best chance came in the 15th minute when Merilainen stopped a Petrov drive.

The Battalion wraps up a three-game eastern swing with a visit to the Ottawa 67's at 2 p.m. Sunday. The game can be seen live in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700.

BATTALION BULLETS: The Frontenacs wore camouflaged-themed sweaters and socks for their Remembrance Day game, putting the Battalion in its white apparel ... It was the first of four meetings between the teams. The Battalion visits Kingston again Nov. 26 ... North Bay went 2-for-4 on the power play. Kingston was 1-for-5 ... In 201 games, Coe has 58 goals and 79 assists for 137 points, one more than current coach Ryan Oulahen and 23rd in franchise history. Overager Coe was North Bay's first-round pick, third overall, in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection from the Toronto Nationals minor midgets ... The Troops' Dalyn Wakely saw the end of a five-game points streak and a four-game scoring run ... Arnsby and Nathan Poole exchanged punches at 11:34 of the second period, with each assessed a fighting major ... The Battalion scratched Cam Gauvreau and Anthony Romani ... First-year Kingston coach Luca Caputi played four OHL seasons with the Mississauga and Niagara IceDogs culminating in 2007-08, when he scored 51 goals and added 60 assists for 111 points in 66 games ... Matthew Soto, who assisted on Wright's first goal, has a seven-game points streak during which he has two goals and nine assists for 11 points. He was Kingston's first-round pick, fifth overall, in the 2021 Priority Selection from the Oakville Rangers U16 team ... Ryan Harrison and Pat Myers were the referees.

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