Ottawa edges Battalion 4-3
NORTH BAY, Ont. — Caden Kelly’s goal, the last of four straight first-period markers, proved the winner as the Ottawa 67’s held off the North Bay Battalion for a 4-3 Ontario Hockey League victory Sunday.
Chase Yanni, Will Gerrior and Josh Brady also scored for Ottawa, which got 36 saves from rookie goaltender Jaeden Nelson, a fourth-round pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, before a crowd of 2,488.
Ottawa, which defeated the host Barrie Colts 5-4 via shootout Saturday night, moved its won-lost-extended record to 13-11-6 for 32 points, fourth in the East Division.
With head coach Dave Cameron of the 67’s holding that position with the Canadian team that will compete in the World Junior Championship starting Dec. 26 at Ottawa and suburban Kanata, assistant Norm Milley ran the visitors’ bench. Ottawa, which dressed 16 skaters, two below the limit, played the second of nine straight road games and won’t be at home until Jan. 8.
Nick Wellenreiter had one goal and one assist and Aaron Enright and Lirim Amidovski the other North Bay goals in front of goaltender Mike McIvor, who made 33 saves. The Battalion, which dressed 11 forwards and seven defencemen, is 13-13-3 for 29 points, fifth in the Central Division.
Enright opened the scoring 42 seconds into the first period when he lobbed the puck from the left point through traffic. Briir Long had the lone assist on defenceman Enright’s second goal of the season.
Ottawa then set to work, tying it at 1:55 on Yanni’s jam at the right post for his fourth goal and taking the lead on penalty killer Gerrior’s 14th at 7:19 after the Troops had killed a two-man disadvantage lasting one minute. Gerrior converted a cross-crease pass from Bradley Horner, with Jack Dever awarded the other assist off a three-on-one rush.
Defenceman Brady intercepted a clearing pass at the blue line and whipped the puck through a screen for his third goal at 9:46, and Kelly lofted a backhander over the sprawling McIvor at 16:17, assisted by Chris Barlas and Dever.
The Battalion’s Owen Van Steensel drew a high-sticking penalty at 19:58, when Cooper Foster and Gerrior received roughing minors with Ethan Procyszyn and Bronson Ride. Procyszyn and Foster fought, going to the ice to continue the scrap.
Gerrior, who came off the bench to be the third man in, was grabbed by referee Kevin McArthur and escorted back off the ice. McArthur and colleague Damian Figueira saw fit not to assess majors, sparing the undermanned 67’s the loss of Gerrior for the game and putting the Troops two men short for 1:24.
Amidovski connected on the power play at 10:05 of the second period, emerging from the right corner to take the puck to the crease and hoist a backhander behind Nelson. Wellenreiter and Wyatt Kennedy assisted on Amidovski’s 10th goal.
Wellenreiter struck shorthanded at 16:56, driving against Henry Mews, sliding to the left and backhanding the puck home for his second goal. Procyszyn and Kent Greer assisted.
McIvor, who produced a sterling stop against Mews in the fourth minute of the final frame to keep the deficit at one, was pulled for a sixth attacker with 2:02 to play, but the Battalion couldn’t find the equalizer despite a flurry of late chances.
The Battalion plays host to the Soo Greyhounds in a game at 7 p.m. Wednesday featuring The Brick North Bay Teddy Bear Toss. It’s the last home date before Dec. 29 when Barrie visits.
BATTALION BULLETS: A moment of silence was observed for Jim Waters, the owner and governor of the Erie Otters, who passed away Friday at 73 … Tim Hortons Day featured prizing from the title sponsor, Fat Bastard Burrito, Syl’s Neighbourhood Kitchen and more … The teams split their first two games, each winning at home. Ottawa prevailed 6-3 on Oct. 5, and the Battalion won 3-2 on Oct. 24. The fourth of six meetings is slated Feb. 17 at TD Place … Procyszyn paced the Battalion with seven shots on goal. Mews and Kohyn Eshkawkogan each had five for Ottawa … North Bay went 1-for-4 on the power play. Ottawa was 0-for-5. The 67’s entered the game with the league’s top-ranked power play and worst penalty-killing numbers … Opening lines saw Procyszyn centring left winger Van Steensel and right winger Jacob Therrien, Long pivoting left winger Shamar Moses and right winger Wellenreiter and Ryder Carey centring left winger Reyth Smith and right winger Amidovski. Centre Nolan Laird and right winger Stepan Chukharev had various linemates … The Battalion was without Declan Gallivan, Dylan Richter, Ihnat Pazii, Anthony Romani, Natan Teshome and Andrew LeBlanc … Mews saw the end of a seven-game assists streak during which he had 13 assists … Ottawa’s Luca Pinelli is with Canada’s junior team in a four-day pretournament training camp at Petawawa, Ont., while Filip Ekberg is with Sweden … Also missing were Collin MacKenzie, Frankie Marrelli and Kimi Korbler.
