Storm batters Battalion
NORTH BAY, Ont. — Max Namestnikov and Jett Luchanko scored power-play goals in the second period to overcome a deficit and send the Guelph Storm to a 4-1 victory over the North Bay Battalion in Ontario Hockey League action Thursday night.
Jake Karabela, during a two-man advantage, and Vilmer Alriksson added third-period goals for Guelph, which improved its won-lost-extended record to 7-3-0 for 14 points, vaulting over the idle London Knights into second place in the Midwest Division.
Goaltender Brayden Gillespie provided 34 saves for Guelph, while Luchanko added two assists and Namestnikov one. Michael Buchinger contributed two assists as the Storm went 3-for-6 on the power play after suffering a 2-0 loss to the host Oshawa Generals on Sunday night.
Liam Arnsby scored for North Bay before 2,152 at Memorial Gardens. Goaltender Dom DiVincentiis faced 25 shots for the Battalion, 5-4-2 for 12 points, tied with the Sudbury Wolves for second place in the Central Division.
The Troops were scoreless on eight power-play opportunities, including four in a row in the third period to finish the game.
“It’s just clear Guelph came in here, earned two points,” said Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen. “They were better than us in a lot of areas of the game and ultimately they earned it, and we weren’t good enough tonight.”
With Ethan Procyszyn and Arnsby in the penalty box for hooking and boarding respectively, Karabela made it 3-1 just 55 seconds into the final frame when he found himself alone in the slot and redirected a tap pass from Namestnikov.
The Battalion failed to score on three straight power plays before Alriksson connected at 13:46 off a rush. It was his fifth goal of the season, tied with Charlie Paquette for the team lead.
Ryan McGuire was handed a boarding major and misconduct at 15:11 to put North Bay on the power play for the rest of the game but, even with DiVincentiis pulled for a sixth attacker, the Troops couldn’t pull closer.
Guelph trailed 1-0 after 20 minutes before Namestnikov tied it at 4:55 of the second period, batting a rebound out of the air at the crease. Buchinger and Braeden Bowman assisted on Namestnikov’s fourth goal.
Luchanko struck at 8:11, dipsy-doodling from the left circle to the net and launching a backhander into the short side. Buchinger had the sole assist.
North Bay received a two-man advantage lasting 1:15 after Buchinger went off for slashing Owen Van Steensel on a shorthanded breakaway at 13:26 and Brayden Hislop was banished for crosschecking at 14:11, but the Battalion failed to capitalize.
Arnsby opened the scoring at 15:45 of the first period, receiving the puck from Brice Cooke along the left boards in the neutral zone and breaking in alone on Gillespie, whom he beat over the glove. It was captain Arnsby’s first goal in his third game after recovering from injury.
Procyszyn failed to score on a breakaway set up by a long Ty Nelson feed in the 11th minute, and DiVincentiis made a big stop against Namestnikov in tight to the right of the crease on the power play after Ihnat Pazii went off for tripping at 11:42.
The Battalion visits the Brantford Bulldogs at 7 p.m. Friday. The game can be seen live in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700.
BATTALION BULLETS: Cascades Casino Night saw the organization present a cheque for $1,000 to Crisis Centre North Bay. The casino’s Barbara Boston and Scott Huycke of the centre took part in the ceremonial faceoff … Dalyn Wakely, Anthony Romani and Van Steensel all saw the end of a three-game points streak. Wakely had two goals and eight assists for 10 points in his run, while Romani generated five goals and four assists for nine points. Van Steensel recorded four goals and three assists for seven points … Opening lines included Arnsby centring left winger Cooke and right winger Procyszyn, Wakely centring left winger Van Steensel and right winger Romani and Pazii pivoting left winger Carter Kostuch and right winger Jacob Therrien. Nolan Laird centred left winger Stef Forgione and right winger Lirim Amidovski … The Battalion was without Mike McIvor, Justin Ertel, Dylan Richter, Tyson Rismond, Zach Wilson and Pasquale Zito … Ertel was sick … Overage defenceman Hislop, whom Guelph acquired in a trade Aug. 3, played against his onetime Battalion teammates for the first time … Guelph got left winger Justin DeZoete in a trade Tuesday with the Mississauga Steelheads. DeZoete joined the Steelheads midway in last season from the Peterborough Petes, who made him a second-rounder in 2020 from the Hamilton Huskies minor midgets … Among the missing for Guelph were Cam Allen and Matthew Poitras … Matt Boulby and Brendan Kane were the referees.
