Battalion rallies to win 4-3
NORTH BAY, Ont. — Adrian Manzo scored at 17:58 of the third period to lift the North Bay Battalion to a 4-3 comeback victory Thursday night over the Kingston Frontenacs, moving the Troops within three points of the fourth-place Peterborough Petes in the Ontario Hockey League’s Eastern Conference.
Evgeny Dubrovtsev scored two goals and Ethan Procyszyn provided one goal and one assist for the Battalion, which got 27 saves from goaltender Cole Vreugdenhil, who made his fourth start and fifth appearance of the season.
North Bay improved its won-lost-extended record to 32-23-3 for 67 points, second in the Central Division and fifth in the conference behind Peterborough, which lost 4-3 via shootout to the host Windsor Spitfires.
The Troops, who clinched a playoff berth when the visiting Brampton Steelheads fell 5-4 Wednesday night to the Brantford Bulldogs, avenged a 5-1 loss at Kingston last Friday night.
Tomas Pobezal had one goal and one assist and Alex Misiak and Adam Kelly also scored for the Frontenacs, while goaltender Gavin Betts made 27 saves before 2,366 at Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens. Kingston is 26-27-5 for 57 points, fourth in the East Division and seventh in the conference.
The Frontenacs, who trailed 2-1 through 40 minutes, tied it at 3:15 of the third period when Kelly secured his second goal of the season in redirecting a Vann Williamson blue line drive and having the puck trickle under Vreugdenhil. Pobezal put the visitors ahead 3-2 with his 14th goal on the power play at 13:59, one-timing the puck from the left circle off a backdoor rebound.
Dubrovtsev capitalized at 15:11 after Betts hesitated playing the disc to his left and had Ryder Carey back it off the goaltender to the Russian import in front for his 10th goal.
Just 2:47 later, Procyszyn backhanded the puck past a spin-sliding Maleek McGowan to Manzo at the goalmouth. He forked his second goal over Betts’s glove, with Kaden Pitre drawing the other assist. The goal survived a lengthy video review for offside, with Kingston coach Troy Mann’s failed challenge putting his team short for all but two seconds of the rest of the game.
“He did the right thing there,” Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen said of defenceman Manzo. “No matter who we are, if you’re the guy carrying the puck middle ice, I want that guy driving all the way to the net. We had coverage for him, and he stopped in front and waited. A good play by Ethan to get it over to him.”
Procyszyn opened the scoring at 5:43 of the first period after a Brandt Harper shot from high on the right side deflected off a defender into the left circle. Procyszyn gathered the puck and beat Betts, with Bronson Ride drawing the other assist on the captain’s team-leading 25th goal.
Dubrovtsev struck off a power-play rush at 14:47, taking a return pass from Carey at the blue line and wiring the puck from the right circle. Aaron Enright also assisted.
Misiak got Kingston on the board with the man advantage at 2:50 of the second period when he one-timed the puck from the goalmouth off a short feed by Aleks Kulemin. Pobezal had the other assist on Misiak’s 12th goal.
The power play resulted from a scrap between Alexander Karmanov and Riley Clark. Karmanov, who objected to Clark’s contact with Vreugdenhil, connected with a punch and got the takedown. He received an instigating minor, fighting major and misconduct, while Clark served a major.
The Battalion visits the Sudbury Wolves at 7:05 p.m. Friday. The game can be seen live in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700.
BATTALION BULLETS: On Hockey Fights Cancer Night presented by Scotiabank, a total of $9,244.40 was raised for the Canadian Cancer Society … It was the last of four season meetings, with each team holding a record of 2-2-0. The visiting Frontenacs won 2-1 on Sept. 28 before the Battalion prevailed 4-1 at Kingston on Nov. 28 … The Troops had played four straight road games since their previous home date, a 9-1 rout of the Niagara IceDogs on Feb. 15 … Manzo, Pitre and Ryder Cali topped North Bay with four shots on goal apiece. Misiak, who hit the right post with Kingston trailing 2-1 in the middle period, led the visitors with eight … The Battalion went 1-for-4 on the power play. Kingston was 2-for-4 … Opening lines featured Procyszyn centring left winger Pitre and right winger Nick Wellenreiter, Cali centring left winger Sebastien Gervais and right winger Lirim Amidovski and Cam Warren pivoting left winger Nolan Laird and right winger Parker Vaughan. Dubrovtsev centred left winger Arseny Pronin and right winger Carey … Defence pairings were Ride with Harper, Enright with Hayden Barch and Karmanov with Manzo … The Battalion was without Mike McIvor, Jonathan Kapageridis, Kent Greer, Carter Kunopaski and Shamar Moses … Greer was sick … Jack Lisson, having started 11 of the previous 12 games, backed up Vreugdenhil … Among the missing for Kingston was Jack Dever … Nick Isaacson and Connor Mallon were the referees.
