Offensive struggles don’t deter Troops
BRAMPTON, Ont. – The Brampton Battalion squeezed everything it could out of its offence in the Ontario Hockey League’s 2010-11 regular season.
Despite outscoring only the Belleville Bulls, the Battalion compiled a won-lost-extended record of 29-32-7 for 65 points, finishing third in the Central Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference. The Troops were credited with 190 goals, 23 more than a year ago, and finished with one more point than in 2009-10.
Scott Tanski led offensive production with 18 goals and team-leading totals of 29 assists and 47 points in 67 games, thus posting the lowest team-high points total in club history. Sean Jones paced the Battalion last season with 49 points.
Ian Watters, the only member of the Troops to play all 68 games, was second with 42 points on 20 goals and 22 assists, while Barclay Goodrow scored a team-leading 24 goals, also the lowest team-high total ever, and added 15 assists for 39 points in 65 games. Adam Henrich and Wojtek Wolski had 29 goals each in 2003-04.
Sam Carrick also had 39 points, on 16 goals and 23 assists in 59 games, and Michael Santini contributed 19 goals and 17 assists for 36 points in 56 games. Philip Lane had 17 goals and as many assists for 34 points in 54 games.
Spencer Abraham finished with six goals and 25 assists for 31 points in 67 games, ranking first among both rookies and defencemen in goals, assists and points.
While the Troops endured difficulty finishing chances, they outshot their opponents in 54 of 68 games, being outshot only 12 times, including in seven of eight games against the league-leading Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors. Shots on goal were even in two games.
The offensive struggles put a young defence corps numbering four rookies, including underagers Marcus McIvor and Dylan Blujus, to the test. It excelled in keeping games close, and the Battalion went 13-7-7 in one-goal games.
Goaltenders Cody St. Jacques, an overager signed as a free agent Nov. 30, and Matej Machovsky, a rookie acquired in a trade with the Guelph Storm the next day, backstopped the team to a record of 20-21-3 after arriving to assume crease duties from Jacob Riley and Dennis Saikkonen.
St. Jacques went 15-10-1 with a 2.71 goals-against average, .895 save percentage and one shutout. Machovsky, who dealt with a disproportionate share of the offensive struggles, was 5-11-2 with a 2.65 GAA, .901 save percentage and one shutout.
The Battalion scored 53 power-play goals in 287 opportunities for an effectiveness of 18.5 percent, 17th in the league. That constituted a better showing than last season, when the Troops scored at 14.3 percent. Watters paced the team with nine power-play goals, while Goodrow and Santini each scored eight.
The Battalion allowed 50 power-play goals in 284 chances for a kill rate of 82.4 percent, fifth in the OHL.
The Troops fared poorly in the shorthanded goals comparison, scoring just one, by Zach Bell against the visiting Sudbury Wolves on Dec. 3, and surrendering 13. They gave up two in a game twice.
Alex O’Neil, who ranks 10th on the club’s career list for penalty minutes with 244, topped the team with 115, two more than Lane. Stephon Thorne drew 89 minutes and Bell 86.
The Battalion was the fourth-least penalized team, totaling 1,000 minutes for an average of 14.7 per game. The Oshawa Generals led the penalty parade with an average of 21.2 minutes a game, while the Ottawa 67’s were the least penalized at 13.2.
The Battalion won six of 13 games that went beyond 60 minutes, including two of three decided in overtime. The Troops had a 4-6 won-lost record in shootouts, winning their last two.
The Battalion had a won-lost-extended mark of 22-9-1 when scoring first and 7-23-6 when the opposition opened the scoring. The Troops were 19-1-2 when leading after two periods, 5-30-3 when trailing after 40 minutes and 5-1-2 when tied.
The team went 11-14-3 within the division and 13-6-1 against the East Division for a record of 24-20-4 within the conference. The Troops were 2-8-0 against Midwest Division teams and 3-4-3 against West Division foes for a mark of 5-12-3 against the Western Conference.
The longest winning streak was five games, from Dec. 17 through Jan. 2 and ending with a 6-3 road loss to the Barrie Colts on Jan. 6. The longest losing streak was six games, running Nov. 12-26. It was broken in a 5-4 win via shootout at home against Barrie on Nov. 28.
