Troops blank Petes, evening record
PETERBOROUGH, Ont. – Goaltender Jake Smith made 38 saves in a steller performance to record the shutout as the North Bay Battalion defeated the Peterborough Petes 2-0 in Ontario Hockey League preseason action Thursday night.
Brett McKenzie, the Battalion’s first-round pick in the OHL Priority Selection in April, and Mike Amadio scored the goals as the undermanned Battalion evened its won-lost record in exhibition play at 2-2.
Petes goaltender Michael Giugovaz faced 34 shots before a sparse crowd at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.
Smith, who backed up the departed Matej Machovsky last year, was sharp in his second game of the preseason, denying the Petes on three rapid-fire chances from the slot during a Peterborough power play early in the third period with the Battalion holding a 1-0 lead.
Amadio gave the Troops a cushion with his goal at 6:04. The puck came off the end boards off a rush, and Alex Henriksson fed Amadio, who showed good patience in carrying the rubber across the goalmouth before firing it home on the short side.
McKenzie opened the scoring at 6:18 of the first period. Calvin Gomes drove to the left lip of the crease and centred the puck to McKenzie in the deep slot for a slick conversion.
Smith made several outstanding saves as the Petes outshot the Battalion 17-9 in the period, including the glove grab of a blast by Steven Lorentz from the left faceoff dot at 12:21.
Smith held the fort during the only penalty of the frame, a tripping call to Mathew Santos at 16:59, as the Troops never got the puck out of their zone.
He then stoned Anthony Stefano in alone in the final seconds, denying the attacker with a sliding right-pad save.
Vincent Praplan threatened in the second minute, racing down the right side and firing the puck wide right. It rebounded off the end boards and bounced into Giugovaz to the left of his net, giving the goaltender an anxious moment.
The Battalion, which dressed 19 players, one below the limit, completes its preseason schedule at 2 p.m. Saturday against Peterborough at Temiscaming, Que., as renovations to North Bay’s Memorial Gardens continue.
BATTALION BULLETS: Peterborough head coach Jody Hull, quoted in the game program, called North Bay a “great hockey community.” He said it will “be exciting to go back into North Bay to play in front of knowledgeable and energetic fans similar to the ones here in Peterborough.” … The Battalion went 0-for-3 on the power play. Peterborough was 0-for-4 … Opening Battalion line combinations included Jamie Lewis centring left winger Praplan and right winger Henriksson, Amadio pivoting left winger Blake Clarke and Nick Paul on right wing and McKenzie centring left winger Daniel Volpe and right winger Gomes. Jared Steege skated between left winger Brandon Robinson and right winger Santos … On defence were Mark Raycroft, Riley Bruce, Shawn Tessier, Kyler Keating and Connor Jarvis, pressed into service on the blue line from his normal spot on left wing for a second consecutive game … Marcus McIvor, Dylan Blujus and Zach Bell still are at National Hockey League camps, while Kyle Wood, Mike Baird, Brenden Miller and Matt MacLeod were scratched with injuries. Miller returned from the St. Louis Blues’ rookie camp with a bruised ankle suffered blocking a shot … Peterborough scratched Clark Seymour, Tyson Baker, Greg Betzold, Nicholas Ritchie, Connor Boland, Michael Clarke and Myles McGurty … Head coach Stan Butler watched the game from a media box as assistants Ryan Oulahen and John Goodwin worked the Battalion bench … The referees were Jason Goldenberg and Mike Pryde.
