Battalion shuts out Ottawa
OTTAWA — Jacob Therrien scored one goal and assisted on another and goaltender Charlie Larocque made 19 saves as the North Bay Battalion shut out the Ottawa 67’s 4-0 in an Ontario Hockey League preseason game Friday night.
For the Battalion, it was a case of turnabout being fair play, avenging a 5-0 win by Ottawa at North Bay on Sept. 6.
Ihnat Pazii, Stepan Chukharev and Reyth Smith scored a goal apiece as the Battalion, which dressed 11 forwards and seven defencemen, earned its second victory in three exhibition games.
For Ottawa, starting goaltender Ian Michelone gave up two goals on nine shots before being relieved by Jaeden Nelson at 9:26 of the second period. Nelson allowed two goals on eight shots.
Ottawa has lost two of three preseason outings.
Pazii opened the scoring at 18:02 of the first period, taking a pitchforked pass from Nolan Laird and hoisting a backhander behind Michelone while cruising across the slot. Brayden Turley had the second assist.
Chukharev struck at 19:14 after Therrien broke in alone only to be denied by Michelone. Owen Van Steensel failed to cash the rebound, but the puck went to Chukharev on the left side for the conversion.
The Battalion enjoyed a distinct territorial advantage in the first half of the frame but managed to outshoot Ottawa only 5-4 before a stoppage at 12:28. The final count for the period was 8-7 for the visitors.
Ottawa forged a 7-2 edge in second-period shots, but Therrien collected the only goal at 16:28, charging down the right wing on a two-on-one rush and beating Nelson over the left shoulder from the circle. Wyatt Kennedy drew the sole assist.
The Troops killed the only penalty of the game after Therrien was sent off for crosschecking at 4:19, and Chukharev, at the crease, just failed to redirect a feed from Van Steensel seconds after the penalty expired.
Smith added the fourth goal at 10:19 of the third period, seizing a turnover at the right-wing boards, darting around Frankie Marrelli and snapping the puck home off a drive to the net.
Ottawa’s Jack Dever hit the right post on an odd-man rush in the 16th minute, and the Troops then shut down the 67’s for the blanking.
The Battalion completes its preseason schedule with a visit to the Owen Sound Attack at 2 p.m. Sunday. The game can be seen live in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700.
BATTALION BULLETS: In three exhibition games, the Battalion has gone 0-for-3 on the power play, while opponents are 0-for-4 … Opening line combinations featured Laird centring left winger Van Steensel and right winger Therrien, Andrew LeBlanc centring left winger Natan Teshome and right winger Ryder Carey and Dylan Richter pivoting left winger Pazii and right winger Smith. Tyson Rismond, on left wing, and right winger Chukharev had rotating linemates … Defence pairings were Bronson Ride with Kennedy, Turley with Jacob LeBlanc and Aaron Enright with Kent Greer. Zach Wilson also saw plenty of action … The Battalion was without Mike McIvor, Declan Gallivan, Dalyn Wakely, Anthony Romani, Ethan Procyszyn and Lirim Amidovski … McIvor, Wakely, Romani and Procyszyn are at National Hockey League training camps after attending rookie camps. Kennedy returned from the Chicago Blackhawks’ rookie camp … Carter Nadon was recalled from the junior A Haliburton County Huskies of the Ontario Junior Hockey League to back up Larocque … Kennedy and Van Steensel served as alternate captains … Among the missing for Ottawa, which dressed 16 skaters, two below the limit, were Collin MacKenzie, Henry Mews, Luca Pinelli, Matthew Mayich and Cooper Foster … Nelson and MacKenzie combined for 40 saves in shutting out the Battalion in the first meeting … Sean Reid and Tyson Stewart were the referees.
