Battalion ties up series
NORTH BAY, Ont. — Liam Arnsby scored to break a tie at 15:08 of the third period, lifting the North Bay Battalion to a 3-1 Ontario Hockey League victory Sunday over the Peterborough Petes, tying their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Championship Series at a game apiece.
Kyle Jackson and Owen Van Steensel, the latter into an empty net, also scored for second-place North Bay, which got 26 saves from goaltender Dom DiVincentiis before a crowd of 4,081.
Brennan Othmann scored for fourth-place Peterborough, while goaltender Michael Simpson stopped 31 of 33 shots.
The Petes were without Avery Hayes, who played the first game, which they won 3-2 Friday night, and has six goals and four assists for 10 points in 11 postseason games.
The series moves to Peterborough for games Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
“It was a big result for us today, for sure, to bounce back, and what a hockey game,” said Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen.
“You’re witnessing two really good hockey teams going at it, a bit of a chess match going out there, and ultimately I really thought we came out extremely urgent there in that third period and found a way to put one in the back of the net, so a huge victory to head to Peterborough at 1-1.”
Arnsby snapped the puck from just above the right faceoff dot, the disc slipping inside the right post. Paul Christopoulos and Avery Winslow assisted on captain Arnsby’s fourth goal of the playoffs.
Simpson left for a sixth attacker after a Peterborough timeout at 18:06 and, after one failed Battalion attempt at the vacant cage, Van Steensel put the puck into the net at 19:15 for his third goal.
The teams traded second-period goals, with Jackson striking first at 8:18. He wristed home a Tnias Mathurin rebound in the slot as Josh Bloom also assisted. It was Jackson’s sixth goal.
In 27 career postseason games, Jackson has 15 goals and 13 assists for 28 points, tied with Matt Duchene for 11th place in franchise history. Jackson’s 15 goals are tied with Duchene for seventh place all-time.
Othmann replied at 15:22, cashing an Owen Beck rebound from right of the crease. Chase Stillman had the other assist on Othmann’s fifth goal.
Each team had one man-advantage opportunity in the period, with Bloom whistled for holding the stick at 2:19 and Jonathan Melee for tripping at 11:55. Simpson collapsed to hold on to a Kyle McDonald power-play blast from the slot.
The Battalion had a 12-11 edge in shots in the first period. DiVincentiis got the blocker on a Connor Lockhart threat from the mid slot in the 17th minute after the Troops had trouble clearing their zone, and Matvey Petrov dashed down the left wing around Donovan McCoy shortly thereafter only to have Simpson clutch the puck to his chest.
The games at Peterborough, which start at 7:05 p.m., can be seen live in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700.
BATTALION BULLETS: Total attendance for playoff games at North Bay has surpassed that in Brampton before relocation in 2013. In 43 games in the Gateway of the North, the Troops have attracted 152,312 for an average of 3,542 per game. In 56 games at Brampton, the total was 150,519 for an average of 2,688 … The Battalion has an all-time won-lost record of 16-23 in the second game of a playoff series, including 11-14 at home and 5-4 at Memorial Gardens … The Battalion is 93-106 in playoffs, including 50-49 at home. The Troops are 46-40 as North Bay, including 26-17 on home ice … The Troops’ Ty Nelson saw a points streak ended at 11 games, in which he had three goals and 13 assists for 16 points. The streak tied that of Brandt Clarke of the Barrie Colts as the longest in the playoffs … Arnsby joined Jackson and McDonald with two game-winning playoff goals, in a 10-way tie for 10th place in franchise history … The Battalion went 0-for-2 on the power play. Peterborough was 0-for-1 … The Battalion, which dressed 11 forwards and seven defencemen, again scratched Wyatt Kennedy, Jacob Therrien, Brayden Turley, Ethan Procyszyn and Brett Bouchard … The Petes, who also dressed 11 and seven, had Chase Lefebvre draw into the lineup in place of Hayes … Othmann has a nine-game points streak in which he has four goals and seven assists for 11 points … Mike Cairns and Sean Reid were the referees.
