Ottawa trips Troops 7-2
NORTH BAY, Ont. — Will Gerrior scored to break a tie at 2:44 of the third period, sparking a five-goal eruption that sent the Ottawa 67’s to a 7-2 victory over the North Bay Battalion in Ontario Hockey League preseason action Wednesday night.
Gerrior, Tuomas Uronen and Gavin Ewles each had one goal and one assist, while Luca Pinelli, Frankie Marrelli, Kimi Korbler and Brady Stonehouse provided a goal apiece. Goaltender Max Donoso stopped 23 of 25 shots for Ottawa, which has two wins in as many exhibition games.
Anthony Romani and Justin Ertel each scored one goal and added an assist for North Bay, while Dalyn Wakely contributed two assists. Goaltender Charlie Robertson faced 37 shots in the Battalion’s preseason opener.
The Battalion, which scratched a slew of regulars, lost rookie rearguard Zach Wilson to a shoulder injury in the first period.
The game pitted the team that won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy last season for finishing first overall in the OHL atop the East Division, against the Troops, who have captured the last two Central Division titles on the way to consecutive appearances in the Eastern Conference final.
The teams meet again at Ottawa at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Battalion then plays host to the Owen Sound Attack on Sunday.
Uronen flagrantly slashed Jacob Therrien and fed the puck to Gerrior for a breakaway from the visitors’ blue line for what proved to be the winning goal in the final frame.
Uronen made it 4-2 on the power play at 8:41, connecting from open ice in the left circle, and defenceman Ewles saw a screened right-point lob deflect off a defender at 10:33. Korbler scored off a right-wing rush at 17:18, and Stonehouse converted from a scrum at 18:10.
Romani opened the scoring 36 seconds into the first period when he emerged from deep on the left wing and slipped across the goalmouth to pop the puck past Donoso.
Ertel then took a drop pass from Wakely high on the left side and looped to the crease, snapping home the rubber at 4:35 for a 2-0 lead.
Pinelli answered at 9:18, driving up the middle and depositing a backhander behind Robertson.
Defenceman Marrelli tied it 2-2 just 53 seconds into the second period. A delayed penalty for tripping was pending when Marrelli continued to the net, crashing into Robertson and dislodging the cage only to have a goal registered.
Brett Bouchard and Ottawa’s Charlie Hilton fought at 16:45, with each receiving a major and, in keeping with the preseason rule, a game misconduct.
BATTALION BULLETS: The Battalion went 0-for-4 on the power play. Ottawa was 1-for-2 … The Troops agreed to wear green-based sweaters at home, contrary to OHL protocol before Jan. 1, because Ottawa’s darks were said to be unavailable. They weren’t … Opening line combinations saw Wakely centring left winger Ertel and right winger Romani, Nolan Laird centring left winger Carter Kostuch and right winger Therrien, Reyth Smith pivoting left winger Stef Forgione and right winger Bouchard and Dylan Richter centring left winger Chase MacQueen-Spence and right winger Lirim Amidovski … Defence pairings were Alex Cajkovic with Paul Christopoulos, Brayden Turley with Wyatt Kennedy and Tyson Rismond with Wilson … Mike McIvor backed up Robertson … The Battalion was without Dom DiVincentiis, Tnias Mathurin, Brice Cooke, Liam Arnsby, Iggy Pazii, Owen Van Steensel, Ethan Procyszyn, Ty Nelson and Pasquale Zito … Kostuch, Laird, Smith, Cajkovic and Wilson made their OHL debuts … Smith was recalled from the junior A ranks after playing preseason games with the Powassan Voodoos on the weekend. He was returned to the Voodoos after the game … In the absence of Arnsby, Christopoulos wore the captain’s ‘C’ and Wakely was an alternate.
