Frontenacs prevail 4-3
NORTH BAY, Ont. — Linus Hemstrom scored one goal and earned three assists to pace the Kingston Frontenacs to a 4-3 victory over the North Bay Battalion in an Ontario Hockey League game Thursday night.
Gabriel Frasca provided two goals and Jakub Chromiak also scored for Kingston, which avenged an 8-6 home-ice loss to the Battalion last Friday night.
Goaltender Mason Vaccari, who allowed six goals on 18 shots in the first two periods in that game, made 22 saves for Kingston, which has a won-lost-extended record of 13-13-1 for 27 points, fourth in the East Division.
Paul Christopoulos, Ty Nelson and Jacob Therrien scored for North Bay, which wore Centurion-themed sweaters for the first time this season. Goaltender Dom DiVincentiis faced 31 shots before a crowd of 2,404.
The Battalion is 13-10-5 for 31 points, second in the Central Division, two points behind the Mississauga Steelheads, who hold three games in hand. The Troops visit Mississauga at 7 p.m. Friday.
“The big turning point, I thought, was when the one got overturned,” said Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen, referring to an apparent Liam Arnsby goal that went to video review.
“We were starting to push, and that was a big goal for us. It got overturned, and we just were kind of fighting it from there.”
Kingston carried a 4-2 lead into the third period, when the Battalion forged a 12-6 edge in shots in an effort to come back. Therrien seized the puck at centre ice and charged into the right-wing circle, wiring his 11th goal of the season past Vaccari to cut the deficit to one at 14:10.
With DiVincentiis gone for an extra skater, the Battalion besieged the Kingston net in the final minute but failed to find the equalizer.
After a review negated the would-be Arnsby goal at 5:16 of the second period for an offside zone entry, Hemstrom gave Kingston a 2-1 lead on the power play at 7:09, converting into an open net from the left side. Christopher Thibodeau and Quinton Burns assisted on Hemstrom’s 11th goal, tying him for the team lead.
Nelson replied on the power play at 9:34, drilling home a left-point shot on assists by Anthony Romani and Owen Van Steensel. It was defenceman Nelson’s 12th goal.
Frasca scored at 13:50 on a one-timer from the right circle, assisted by Thomas Budnick and Hemstrom, before netting his third goal on a two-man advantage at 18:03 after Zach Wilson went off for high-sticking and Arnsby for boarding 1:06 later, with both calls drawing the ire of the fans. Hemstrom and Jacob Battaglia assisted.
Christopoulos struck at 6:06 of the first period with a delayed penalty signaled against Kingston. Van Steensel and Dalyn Wakely assisted as defenceman Christopoulos sifted his first goal home from the right point.
Chromiak answered at 8:41 after a Battalion turnover. Hemstrom fed the puck to rearguard Chromiak, who snapped his first goal past DiVincentiis from the high slot.
The game at Mississauga can be seen live in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700.
BATTALION BULLETS: It was the second of four season meetings. The next is scheduled Feb. 11 at Memorial Gardens … Nelson has a five-game points streak in which he has two goals and seven assists for nine points. In 160 career games, Nelson has 12 power-play goals, tied with Adam Henrich and Chris Rowan for 10th place in franchise history … Romani has a five-game points streak during which he has four goals and seven assists for 11 points … Therrien fought Burns in the second period. Burns drew an instigating minor, major and misconduct to Therrien’s major … The Battalion went 1-for-3 on the power play. Kingston was 2-for-5 … Opening lines featured Wakely centring left winger Van Steensel and right winger Romani, Arnsby pivoting left winger Justin Ertel and right winger Therrien and Dylan Richter centring left winger Carter Kostuch and right winger Brice Cooke. Nolan Laird centred left winger Stef Forgione and right winger Lirim Amidovski … Defence pairs had Trevor McDowell with Nelson, Brayden Turley with Christopoulos and Wilson with Wyatt Kennedy … The Battalion was without Tnias Mathurin, Ihnat Pazii, Tyson Rismond, Ethan Procyszyn, Alex Cajkovic, Pasquale Zito and Mike McIvor … Procyszyn and Cajkovic were sick … Nathan Poole served the second game of a three-game suspension issued after he incurred a match penalty for crosschecking Therrien at Kingston … Hillary Brennan and Drew Jackson were the referees.
