Battalion prevails 5-2
OTTAWA — Ty Nelson’s power-play goal 52 seconds into the third period proved the winner as the North Bay Battalion skated to a 5-2 victory Friday night over the Ottawa 67’s in a fiercely contested Ontario Hockey League game.
Anthony Romani had two goals and Dalyn Wakely one goal and two assists for North Bay, while Brice Cooke also scored. Goaltender Dom DiVincentiis made 21 saves as the Battalion moved its won-lost-extended record to 18-13-6 for 42 points, tied with the Mississauga Steelheads for second place in the Central Division.
Kaleb Lawrence and Chris Barlas scored the Ottawa goals before a crowd of 4,089, and goaltender Max Donoso faced 33 shots. The 67’s, 18-15-2 for 38 points and second place in the East Division, have lost five straight since a 4-2 road win Dec. 16 over the Erie Otters.
Defenceman Nelson, making his return after playing for Canada at the World Junior Championship, intercepted an attempted clearing pass and slapped the puck home from beside the right circle for his 13th goal of the season and a 3-1 lead to open the final frame.
In 163 games, Nelson has 12 game-winning goals, tied with Adam Henrich and Chris Rowan for 10th place in franchise history, Nelson’s 24 power-play goals also are 10th all-time, one more than Luch Aquino’s total.
Romani struck at 6:10, circling the Ottawa zone in counterclockwise fashion and wiring the puck high to the far side from the right circle. Wakely and Tnias Mathurin drew assists.
Barlas replied through a screen from the mid slot at 11:25 before Romani completed the scoring with his team-leading 30th goal at 13:09 on a rush down the left wing. Romani’s centring pass was directed into his own net by Gavin Ewles, as Owen Van Steensel and Wakely had assists.
After the teams battled to a 1-1 tie through 20 minutes, Wakely scored at 17:22 of the second period as he and Ihnat Pazii capitalized on a turnover in the Ottawa zone. Pazii shoveled the puck to Wakely on the left side, and he stepped back to the middle to net his 18th goal.
The Battalion outshot the hosts 10-3 in the period, allowing the fewest shots in any frame this season, as the foes engaged in numerous bouts of shoving, slashing and hacking, before and after whistles.
Cooke opened the scoring at 9:06 of the first period, poking home a rebound in a scrum in the crease and being dumped from behind for his effort. Mathurin and Paul Christopoulos assisted on Cooke’s seventh goal.
Lawrence tied it at 17:31, eight seconds into a two-man advantage that followed a tripping penalty to Romani at 16:24 and a call against Liam Arnsby at 17:23 when he engaged in contact without his helmet. Lawrence, who one-timed his 10th goal from between the hash marks, then offset the last 52 seconds of Arnsby’s penalty by taking a hooking call in the offensive zone.
The Battalion plays host to the Kitchener Rangers at 2 p.m. Sunday on Redpath Mining Day.
BATTALION BULLETS: After the fourth of six meetings, each team has a record of 2-2-0. Ottawa won 4-2 at North Bay on Oct. 12 and 6-5 at home Dec. 3 before the host Battalion prevailed 5-3 on Dec. 28. The next engagement is Feb. 16 at Memorial Gardens … Romani has a 14-game points streak in which he has 12 goals and 14 assists for 26 points … Wakely, who has scored in the last six games, has six goals and three assists for nine points in that span … Van Steensel has a five-game points streak in which he has one goal and five assists for six points … The Battalion went 1-for-5 on the power play. Ottawa was 1-for-6 … Opening lines featured Wakely centring left winger Van Steensel and right winger Romani, Arnsby pivoting left winger Justin Ertel and right winger Jacob Therrien and Ethan Procyszyn centring left winger Pazii and right winger Cooke. Dylan Richter centred left winger Nolan Laird and right winger Stef Forgione … Defence pairs saw Mathurin with Christopoulos, Nelson with Wyatt Kennedy and Trevor McDowell with Brayden Turley … The Battalion was without Tyson Rismond, Carter Kostuch, Reyth Smith, Zach Wilson, Alex Cajkovic, Pasquale Zito, Lirim Amidovski and Mike McIvor… Among Ottawa’s scratches were Jack Dever, Collin MacKenzie and Cooper Foster, who served the fourth game of a six-game suspension after receiving a head-checking major, fighting major and game misconduct Dec. 17 in a 3-1 loss at Mississauga.
