SmartStop Post-Game Recap – Bottineau’s Brace Lifts Brampton to a Crucial Point in Shootout Loss to North Bay
North Bay, ON – 2 goals from Justin Bottineau during a 2nd period surge, and a scintillating 58 save performance from Luke Johnson help the Steelheads clinch a crucial point in a shootout loss to the Battalion on Thursday evening.
Brampton headed up to northern Ontario for a small 2-game road trip, with the first stop being in North Bay to take on the Battalion as they looked to build on their last few games, as they entered tonight’s clash with at least a point in 5 of their last 6 games.
The Steelheads fell behind early in the game, when Carter Kunopaski found the net for North Bay inside the opening minute. However, the Trout were able to wrestle back some momentum after killing a penalty in impressive fashion just minutes after the early goal.
With 10 minutes left in the opening period, Kieran Witkowski and Keaton Ardagh led a successful forecheck that ended with Ardagh forcing a good save from Battalion goaltender, Jack Lisson.
Brampton made it 2/2 on the penalty kill late in the period, as Luke Johnson made a few key saves to keep the score 1-0.
Johnson continued to look sharp by weathering a late push from the home side to end the period, making 18 saves on the 19 shots faced in the period and keeping Brampton within range as they headed into the first intermission down just 1.
The 2nd period started in favour of the Trout as they dominated the offensive zone for the opening minutes and applied pressure on North Bay’s slim lead.
At just 0:45 into the period, the Trout cashed in with an equalizer thanks to a highlight reel candidate from Justin Bottineau who went end-to-end before firing a wrist shot into the top corner!
After evening the score, Brampton got a chance to keep the momentum going when they were given their first powerplay opportunity of the night.
During the powerplay it was Justin Bottineau once again finding the rebound from Owen Carwright’s initial shot and slotting it into the open net for his 2nd goal in just 3 minutes of play.
North Bay looked to get back on track with a powerplay of their own a few minutes after conceding their lead, but Brampton’s penalty kill unit stood tall once again.
Luke Johnson also continued his strong display, saving all 19 shots he faced in the period and ensured the Steelheads were able to hold onto their 2-1 lead through 2 periods.
The trend of goals in the early exchanges of the period continued in the 3rd, as North Bay tied it up at 2:31 into the period, setting up a tense final period with neither team wanting to give up the lead.
Entering the final 5 minutes, the score remained 2-2 when Luke Johnson denied the Battalion from point-blank range for his 50th save of his impressive evening.
Brampton kept a solid defensive shape and were able to push the game into overtime for the 3rd time in their last 4 games. However, the extra 5 minutes was not able to break the tie and a shootout was required.
North Bay’s Nick Wellenreiter was the only one able to find the net in the shootout and therefore gave the Battalion a shootout victory.
Despite the loss, Brampton showed great resilience to battle back from an early deficit and clinched another key point, as they continue to chase down the Sudbury Wolves for the final playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
The Steelheads get the chance to close the gap to the Wolves when they play them in Sudbury tomorrow evening.
Brampton returns to home ice for an afternoon game on Family Day against the Battalion once again.
Click the link below to get tickets to the Family Day clash at the CAA Centre and watch the Trout push for a playoff position!
https://www.ticketmaster.ca/brampton-steelheads-tickets/artist/1753776
