OHL North Bay Battalion

Victory over IceDogs Cause for Celebration

Published on February 1, 2015 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


NORTH BAY, Ont. - The North Bay Battalion gave Stan Butler an early birthday present Sunday in the form of a 3-2 victory over the Niagara IceDogs, providing Butler with his 600th Ontario Hockey League coaching win.

Ryan Kujawinski scored two goals and added an assist to power the Battalion offence, while Alex Henriksson also scored and goaltender Jake Smith made 29 saves before a crowd of 3,109.

North Bay lifted its won-lost-extended record to 24-12-10 for 58 points, second in the Central Division, two points behind the idle Barrie Colts with two games in hand.

Brendan Perlini and Ryan Mantha scored for Niagara, 21-23-4 for 46 points, third in the division. Goaltender Brandon Hope faced 35 shots.

"We came out a bit slow, and they took it to us early," said Butler, who turns 59 Monday. "We bounced back pretty hard, and it was a good game from then on. We had to overcome some adversity."

Kujawinski has eight goals and six assists for 14 points in 12 games since being acquired Jan. 5 from the Kingston Frontenacs.

"Ryan has been a great player for us since we picked him up," noted Butler. "On the game-winning goal, you could see from the bench that it was an unbelievable shot."

Henriksson opened the scoring 1:10 into the game. Kujawinski outmuscled Blake Siebenaler for the puck in the deep slot and got off a shot that Hope stopped, but Henriksson put home the rebound. It was Henriksson's 12th goal of the season, surpassing his total of last year.

Perlini replied at 6:32, beating Smith, who appeared to be screened by defender Marcus McIvor, low to the glove side. Carter Verhaeghe and Vince Dunn earned assists.

Mantha, who hit the post with Niagara on an earlier power play, scored with the man advantage at 18:10, firing a screened shot over Smith's blocker from the left point.

Niagara's Josh Ho-Sang fired wide on a breakaway in the eighth minute, while at the other end Nick Moutrey failed to corral his own rebound in the seventh minute and Nick Paul just missed the net in the final seconds.

Kujawinski struck unassisted at 1:05 of the second period, tying it 2-2. The puck deflected wildly out of the left-wing corner to Kujawinski, who found himself alone in the slot for a lethal wrister.

The Troops, who failed to capitalize on a two-man advantage lasting 1:33 midway in the period, regained the lead on the power play at 18:48 when Kujawinski beat a screened Hope from high in the left circle. Miles Liberati and McIvor assisted on Kujawinski's 21st goal of the season.

Hope denied penalty killer Moutrey, looking to finish a two-on-one rush with Paul in the third minute, and stopped drives by Kyle Wood and Brett McKenzie late in the frame.

A sprawling Smith foiled Verhaeghe in the 15th minute and also made fine stops on Mantha, Cody Payne, Dunn, Billy Jenkins and Mikkel Aagaard.

Hope went to the bench with 1:08 to play in the third period after the Troops' Hampus Olsson was called for goaltender interference at 18:42 when knocked into the net on a breakaway. The IceDogs' best chance at the equalizer came in the final seconds as Verhaeghe, Payne and Ho-Sang all whacked at a loose puck in the goalmouth.

The Battalion hosts the Plymouth Whalers at 7 p.m. Thursday.

BATTALION BULLETS: Butler has a won-lost-tied record of 600-601-65 in 1,266 OHL games, including 530-552-52 in 1,134 games with the Battalion. He was 70-49-13 in two seasons with the Oshawa Generals. Fifth all-time in wins, Butler is second among active coaches to the Belleville Bulls' George Burnett, who has 604 ... Kujawinski has three goals and three assists for six points in the last four games ... Moutrey made his home-ice Battalion debut. Acquired Jan. 4 from the Saginaw Spirit, he had been limited to three games with North Bay by an ankle injury at Plymouth on Jan. 9. He sat out eight games before a 4-3 loss via shootout Friday night to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds ... The Battalion went 1-for-5 on the power play. Niagara was 1-for-7 ... Opening line combinations included Paul centring Moutrey on left wing and Mike Amadio on right wing, McKenzie pivoting Kujawinski on left wing and right winger Henriksson and Ray Huether centring Olsson on left wing and right winger Mathew Santos. Defenceman Zach Shankar centred left winger Mike Baird and Zach Poirier on right wing ... The Battalion scratched Riley Bruce, Owen Green and Zach Bratina ... Ho-Sang saw the end of a nine-game points streak during which he had four goals and 11 assists for 15 points ... Perlini has seven goals and five assists for 12 points in a six-game points streak.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from February 1, 2015


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