Battalion busted at Ottawa
OTTAWA — Trouble with the team bus gave the North Bay Battalion problems getting to TD Place on Saturday night, and the Ottawa 67’s provided more headaches once the Troops arrived.
Brad Gardiner, Luca Pinelli and Jack Beck each had one goal and one assist to power Ottawa to a 4-1 Ontario Hockey League victory.
Henry Mews scored the other goal and goaltender Max Donoso made 27 saves as the 67’s, who have won their four games, remained the only unbeaten team in the league.
Kyle Jackson scored for North Bay before a crowd of 1,897, while goaltender Charlie Robertson faced 31 shots.
The Battalion, 3-2-0, completed a road trip of three games in as many nights, after defeating the Peterborough Petes 3-1 Thursday night and the Kingston Frontenacs 3-2 via shootout Friday night. The Troops have played their first five games on the road.
Pinelli scored what proved to be the winner when he gave Ottawa a 2-1 lead at 5:42 of the second period, connecting on a screened shot from the left-wing circle. Beck and Matthew Mayich had assists on Pinelli’s team-leading fifth goal of the season.
Rookie defenceman Mews scored his first OHL goal on the power play at 13:02 of the third period, one-timing a diagonal pass from Thomas Johnston from the left dot, and Beck tipped a right-point drive by Thomas Sirman past Robertson just 1:20 later.
Justin Ertel tested Donoso from the slot at the 10-minute mark, seconds after Ty Nelson rang the puck off iron on a drive off the right wing.
The Battalion had a two-man advantage for 54 seconds after Gardiner went off for tripping and Brady Stonehouse for high-sticking early in the first period, but it was Gardiner, fresh from the penalty box, who scored at 8:37, fending off Wyatt Kennedy on a breakaway and converting a rebound. The shorthanded goal, assisted by Vinzenz Rohrer, was Gardiner’s fourth.
Jackson replied at 9:29, one second after Stonehouse’s penalty expired. Liam Arnsby fed Matvey Petrov in the slot and Donoso overplayed the pass, giving Jackson an open net at the right edge of the crease for his fourth goal. Ertel originated the play from the right corner.
The Troops killed a weak call of a double minor for spearing against Cam Gauvreau late in the frame.
The Battalion plays its home opener against Peterborough at 7 p.m. Thursday.
BATTALION BULLETS: The Battalion bus, which was directed by arena security into backing into a wall while dropping off support staff, was rendered inoperable, with Ontario Northland sending another from North Bay. Players were shuttled to the rink from the hotel. Coach Ryan Oulahen said that, during his time with the Flint Firebirds, their bus hit the same wall, with several players suffering whiplash … The Troops, who overnighted at Peterborough after that game, bused to Ottawa after the Kingston game … The Battalion went 0-for-6 on the power play. Ottawa was 1-for-6 … The Battalion was without Tnias Mathurin, Brayden Turley, Avery Winslow, Kyle McDonald and Brett Bouchard … Tyson Rismond, up from the affiliated junior A Powassan Voodoos, made his OHL regular-season debut on the blue line. He was a fourth-round pick in the OHL Priority Selection in April from the Sudbury Nickel Capitals U16 team … Mathurin arrived in Toronto on Saturday from the camp of the National Hockey League’s Detroit Red Wings and was due in North Bay on Sunday, while Winslow was scheduled to arrive Monday from home in St. Pete Beach, Fla. … Again wearing an ‘A’ as alternates under captain Arnsby were Nelson, Paul Christopoulos and Ertel … Among the missing for Ottawa was Tyler Boucher … Danny Emerson and Drew Jackson were the referees.
