Troops ‘love life right now’
NORTH BAY, Ont. — The North Bay Battalion embarked on the longest road trip in franchise history Wednesday when it boarded the bus for a swing through the western reaches of the Ontario Hockey League.
The Battalion faces the Saginaw Spirit at 7:05 p.m. Thursday to open a four-game trek that completes a season-high run of six away games. The Troops visit the Flint Firebirds on Friday night, the Sarnia Sting on Sunday and the Soo Greyhounds on Tuesday night in a game rescheduled from Nov. 29 because of a snowstorm.
The Battalion has won its last three games, matching a season high for consecutive victories, having doubled the visiting Brampton Steelheads 4-2 last Thursday night before defeating the host Barrie Colts 5-4 via shootout Saturday night and posting a 3-2 road verdict Monday over the Ottawa 67’s.
North Bay has a won-lost-extended record of 21-27-4 for 46 points, fifth in the Central Division and eighth in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of Ottawa and holding three games in hand over the East Division club.
The conference’s eighth and final playoff berth cannot be decided mathematically, such considerations deciding only home ice for a tiebreaker playoff game before conference quarterfinals open. The first criterion is regulation and overtime wins, discounting victories via shootout, with the Troops having an 18-16 lead.
“This is a trip where you love to see that Saturday, kind of a recovery day, so to speak,” coach Ryan Oulahen said minutes before the Battalion bus departed Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens.
“It’s a tough trip when you go three in three, which we’ve done in the past, so having a Saturday recovery day is massive. Add in the Soo trip at the end of it, after a bit of a recovery day as well, I mean, it is what it is. It’s not perfect, but we had to make up that game somewhere, and this was probably the best place to do it.”
Oulahen suggested that his charges benefited last week from the first extensive practice schedule in some time.
“We didn’t make those glaring errors last weekend that we had the previous weekend, and those are just things that you’re able to tinker and get back on track during practice.
“Now this week is completely opposite because we haven’t had time. We’re going to have to jump on the bus here early to head to Saginaw, so you’re hoping that the weekend of games is going to carry over to this weekend.”
That said, Oulahen noted, the Troops look ready for the test.
“You just hear the room, the energy. I think this is exactly how the guys would draw it up. They love life right now.”
Saginaw, 31-21-2 for 64 points, second in the West Division and fourth in the Western Conference, has won its last five games and is 8-1-0 in its last nine. The Spirit’s most recent loss was a 4-2 road setback Feb. 7 to the Brantford Bulldogs.
Saginaw, which has scored a league-high 257 goals, or 4.76 per game, is led offensively by Michael Misa, who has 52 goals and 56 assists for 108 points in 51 games. He leads the OHL in points, is second in goals and ranks third in assists entering play Wednesday night.
Zayne Parekh has 27 goals and 53 assists for 80 points in 49 games, while Kristian Epperson has scored 22 goals and earned 44 assists for 66 points in 47 games. Calem Mangone has 23 goals and 40 assists for 63 points in 51 games.
“When you play a team like Saginaw, they are unique in how they attack in the offensive zone and those things,” said Oulahen. “The key always for us is to try not to get distracted about that. We feel like, if we’re on our toes and playing the way we need to play, we give a lot of teams a hard time, so that’s going to be what we try to do.
“Obviously, there’s some individual elite, elite talent on their team that, when they’re on the ice, you’ve got to make sure all your five guys know that they’re on the ice and pay special attention.”
The game can be seen live in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700.
