Evans, Steege pace Ottawa over Troops
NORTH BAY, Ont. — Ben Evans scored one goal and added two assists to help the Ottawa 67’s edge the North Bay Battalion 3-2 in Ontario Hockey League action Thursday night.
Artur Tyanulin and Drake Rymsha also scored and Jared Steege provided three assists for the 67’s, who got 40 saves from goaltender Olivier Lafreniere. Ottawa improved its won-lost-extended record to 14-15-4 for 32 points, vaulting past the Kingston Frontenacs and Hamilton Bulldogs and into third place in the East Division.
Brad Chenier and Steve Harland scored for North Bay, which suffered its third straight loss since a 6-0 win Dec. 8 over the visiting Flint Firebirds. Goaltender Julian Sime faced 25 shots before a crowd of 2,397 for the Battalion, 15-15-2 for 32 points, first in the Central Division.
“We have to capitalize on our chances,” said Battalion coach Stan Butler. “We had opportunities throughout the game and we didn’t put the puck in the net. We’re giving up way too many scoring chances. We’re making bad plays at the wrong time, and it’s hurting us right now.”
The teams started the game at a frenetic pace and played the first 5:56 without a whistle. The Troops had the first good scoring chance at 6:13, when Daniel Walker was awarded a penalty shot after being mugged on a breakaway by Peter Stratis. Walker fired his penalty shot wide of the left post.
Tyanulin opened the scoring at 6:58 when he beat Sime high to the stick side with a wrister from the left-wing circle, and Chenier responded at 19:45 with his fourth goal of the season, stealing the puck from Tyanulin, breaking in alone on Lafreniere and putting the rubber between his legs.
The 67’s had a breakaway of their own in the 17th minute after Adam Thilander tumbled at the Ottawa blue line, allowing penalty killer Rymsha a free path to the net, but he rang the puck off the left post.
Evans connected at 3:19 of the second period, charging to the goalmouth and chipping a Steege feed past Sime’s blocker, and Rymsha scored the eventual winner at 7:26 when he beat Sime low to the glove side on a rush down the left wing. It was Rymsha’s 14th goal, tying the injured Sasha Chmelevski for the team lead.
Harland was on a breakaway when referee Scott Ferguson inexplicably blew his whistle to assess a bench minor for too many men on the ice against Ottawa at 19:25.
The Troops forged a 16-12 edge in shots in the period, with Lafreniere turning away Brett Hargrave at the lip of the crease in the fifth minute and denying Walker’s wraparound attempt in the seventh. Daniil Vertiy whacked at the rebound of a Riley Bruce shot in the 11th minute, and Lafreniere foiled Harland’s rush to the net off the left wing in the 15th.
Sime, who made early stops on Austen Keating and Travis Barron, kicked away a close-in shot from Patrick White in the sixth minute and sprawled to deny Tyanulin in the 11th. Penalty killer White hit the post from the right circle late in the frame.
The Troops dominated the third period, outshooting the visitors 16-5 and buzzing the Ottawa net for long stretches.
Harland pulled the Battalion within a goal on the power play at 4:59, corralling the rebound of a Brady Lyle shot from the blue line and slipping the puck home from the right edge of the crease. Brett McKenzie had the second assist on Harland’s team-leading 18th goal.
Vertiy, McKenzie, Adam McMaster, Zach Shankar and Kyle Potts challenged Lafreniere the rest of the way. Harland had the only good chance for the Battalion after Steege went off for slashing at 17:04. Even with Sime moved to the bench after a timeout at 18:11 and the Troops skating six on four, they failed to get the equalizer.
The Battalion hosts the Peterborough Petes at 2 p.m. Sunday, the last day of play before the OHL’s Christmas break.
BATTALION BULLETS: Ty Sparling of the New Liskeard Cubs of the Great North Midget League became the third goaltender to back up Sime, acquired Nov. 29 in light of injuries to Brent Moran and Mat Woroniuk … In 228 games, McKenzie has 65 goals and 79 assists for 144 points, eclipsing Luch Aquino for sole possession of 17th place on the franchise list … North Bay went 1-for-5 on the power play. Ottawa was 0-for-3 … In addition to Moran and Woroniuk, the Battalion was without Cam Dineen, Zach Poirier, Jacob Ball and Max Kislinger … Dineen suffered a knee injury in a 5-2 road loss to the Oshawa Generals last Friday night when run by Robbie Burt, who’s been suspended for eight games … Poirier started serving a two-game suspension for a slew-foot in a 3-0 loss Sunday to the visiting Windsor Spitfires … Right winger Andy Baker again was up from the Powassan Voodoos, the Troops’ junior A affiliate … Ottawa coach Jeff Brown has stepped away in recent weeks for health reasons, concentrating on general manager’s duties. Mike Eastwood and Brad Brown have run the bench … Tyanulin has a six-game points streak in which he has three goals and five assists … Andrew Thompson was the other referee … The Battalion will sell used equipment outside the dressing room near Gate 4 of Memorial Gardens from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Gloves, helmets, pants and other items will be available on a cash basis.
