Traveling Troops down Sting 5-2
SARNIA, Ont. – Life on the road has proved productive for the North Bay Battalion.
Nick Paul scored two third-period goals as the Battalion defeated the Sarnia Sting 5-2 Sunday to cap yet another three-game Ontario Hockey League road trip with a second straight victory.
Brett McKenzie had one goal and one assist and Blake Clarke and Barclay Goodrow a goal apiece as the Troops moved their won-lost-extended record to 4-2-0, all on the road as extensive work continues on the team’s Memorial Gardens home.
Goaltender Brendan O’Neill made 27 saves, losing his shutout bid in the third period after the Battalion built a 5-0 lead before a crowd of 2,394.
The Battalion, which rallied from two goals down for a 3-2 victory Saturday night over the Saginaw Spirit, played a third game in three days for the second straight weekend but has no further such condensed dates this season.
Anthony DeAngelo scored both Sarnia goals, while Taylor Dupuis faced 35 shots in goal for the Sting, 1-3-0. Sarnia has lost its three home games, including a 6-3 setback to the Erie Otters on Friday night in its previous outing.
Paul scored on the rebound of a shot by Marcus McIvor at 2:48 of the final period and added a man-advantage tally at 6:13, popping the puck high into the net on another rebound. It was Paul’s third goal of the season.
Defenceman DeAngelo then struck for two power-play goals, the first at 7:14 on a snap shot from the right-wing circle and the second at 10:51.
The Battalion carried a 2-0 lead into the second period, and Goodrow provided what proved to be the winner at the 14-minute mark. Vincent Praplan slipped to the mid slot for an initial shot before Goodrow shoveled home a backhander from deep on the right wing for his third goal.
With no other answer, Sarnia’s Craig Duininck chose to fight Matt MacLeod four seconds after the ensuing faceoff. Duininck’s sweater ended up over his head, and MacLeod eventually got a strong right through to his opponent’s face, staggering him and ending the ill advised bout.
The Troops benefited from a pair of gift goals 27 seconds apart late in the first period, with Clarke striking first at 14:35. Steven Duda intercepted an attempted clearing pass up the middle and stepped into a shot that Clarke deflected for his first goal.
McKenzie scored his second goal in two games when a Sarnia defender handed him the puck on the right wing. McKenzie, a first-rounder in the OHL Priority Selection in April whose goal at Saginaw was his first in the league, skated in on Dupuis unimpeded and beat him cleanly.
O’Neill made a good right-pad save against Bryan Moore in the second minute and covered up on a second effort by Nikolay Goldobin after his shot rang off the post during the Sarnia power play following a crosschecking penalty to Duda at 5:15.
The Battalion visits the Niagara IceDogs at 7 p.m. Thursday to open another three-game road trip. The game can be seen live in North Bay on TVCogeco Cable 12.
BATTALION BULLETS: The Battalion went 1-for-7 on the power play. Sarnia was 2-for-7 … O’Neill, who was in net for a 2-1 loss to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds on Friday night, got the start as coach Stan Butler continued rotating Jake Smith and O’Neill. Both O’Neill and Dupuis are former members of the Sudbury Wolves … Goodrow has 22 career game-winning goals, second in franchise history to Cody Hodgson’s 23 … Duda and McIvor each had two assists … Opening Battalion line combinations included Mike Amadio centring left winger Praplan and right winger Goodrow, Paul centring left winger Brandon Robinson and right winger Alex Henriksson and Jamie Lewis pivoting left winger Clarke and right winger MacLeod. McKenzie centred Calvin Gomes on left wing and right winger Mathew Santos … The Troops were without Kyle Wood, Dylan Blujus, Zach Bell, Riley Bruce, Mike Baird and Jared Steege … Shawn Tessier, a 12th-round choice in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection from the Markham Majors minor midgets, made his debut on the Battalion blue line … Gomes was back in the lineup after sitting out at Saginaw, while rookie rearguard Bruce was scratched for the first time … Sting right winger Brett Hargrave is a North Bay resident. He was Sarnia’s first-round pick, 13th overall, in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection from the Mississauga Rebels minor midgets. Hargrave scored six goals and earned five assists for 11 points in 63 games last season … The referees were Korey Bannerman and Seth Ferguson.
