Battalion wins it in third
Nick Wellenreiter and Ethan Procyszyn each scored two goals and added an assist to power the North Bay Battalion to a 6-3 Ontario Hockey League victory Friday night over the Sudbury Wolves.
Sebastien Gervais and Arseny Pronin also scored, and goaltender Jack Lisson contributed 40 saves in a stellar showing before 3,788 at the Sudbury Community Arena. Kaden Pitre had three assists for the Troops, who have won seven of their last eight games.
North Bay boosted its won-lost-extended record to 33-23-3 for 69 points, second in the Central Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the idle Peterborough Petes. Peterborough, which has a game in hand, is to play it Saturday night against the host Saginaw Spirit.
The Battalion, which dressed 11 forwards and seven defencemen, was missing Lirim Amidovski, who suffered a charley horse in a 4-3 decision Thursday night over the Kingston Frontenacs.
Adam Nemec, Hudson Chitaroni and Chase Coughlan scored for the Wolves, while goaltender Bjorn Bronas allowed five goals on 27 shots, with Wellenreiter scoring into an empty net.
Sudbury is 23-34-2 for 48 points, fourth in the division and eighth in the conference. The Wolves, who wore themed sweaters on Indigenous Night, have lost their last three games.
Pronin netted the winner when he cashed a rebound at the right side at 7:43 of the third period, breaking a 3-3 tie forged through 40 minutes. Evgeny Dubrovtsev and Kent Greer assisted on Pronin’s sixth goal of the season.
Penalty killers Procyszyn and Pitre worked in concert to advance the puck, with Procyszyn beating Bronas cleanly from the left circle at 14:59 for a team-leading 27th goal.
Wellenreiter escorted the puck to the net for his 20th goal at 18:30 to cap the scoring as Bronas watched from the bench.
Wellenreiter posted the Troops to a 1-0 first-period lead at 9:30, driving off the right wing to the goalmouth and beating Bronas between the legs. Pitre and Bronson Ride drew assists.
Bronas made a solid stop against Pronin on a similar play in the second minute of the penalty-free frame, in which Sudbury had a 12-6 edge in shots on goal.
Sudbury, handed a two-man advantage scheduled for 1:23 early in the second period, converted both ends, with Nemec striking first at 2:59 when he tapped the puck home at the right post off a rebound for his 10th goal. Chitaroni connected for his fifth goal 29 seconds later, one-timing the disc from the right circle.
Gervais took a centring pass from Procyszyn off a two-on-one rush at 6:53, tying the game 2-2. With Pitre also receiving an assist, it was Gervais’s 20th goal and eighth since a trade from Saginaw.
Coughlan scored his 16th goal at 12:44, seizing the puck on a rebound off the end boards and banking it off Lisson on assists by Jan Chovan and Artem Gonchar, before Procyszyn produced on the power play at 14:16. He redirected a left-circle drive by Wellenreiter between Bronas’s legs, with Greer also assisting,
The Battalion plays host to the Niagara IceDogs at 2 p.m. Sunday on Cooper Equipment Rentals Day.
BATTALION BULLETS: It was the sixth of eight meetings, with the Battalion having gone 5-1-0. The visiting Troops won 4-3 in overtime Sept. 19 and 3-1 on Oct. 3 before losing 6-2 on Jan. 2. The host Battalion won 5-2 on Jan. 4 and 2-1 on Jan. 15. The next engagement is March 8 at North Bay … In 249 games, Procyszyn has 81 goals and 88 assists for 169 points, tied with Sam Carrick for 20th place in franchise history … The Battalion went 8-3-1 in February … North Bay was 1-for-2 on the power play. Sudbury went 2-for-3 … Opening lines included Procyszyn centring left winger Pitre and right winger Wellenreiter, Cam Warren centring left winger Nolan Laird and right winger Parker Vaughan and Dubrovtsev pivoting left winger Pronin and right winger Ryder Carey. Centre Ryder Cali and left winger Gervais had various linemates … Defence pairs were Ride with Hayden Barch, Aaron Enright with Brandt Harper and Carter Kunopaski with Greer. Adrian Manzo also saw action … In addition to Amidovski, the Battalion was without Mike McIvor, Jonathan Kapageridis, Alexander Karmanov and Shamar Moses … Cole Vreugdenhil backed up Lisson … Among Sudbury’s scratches were Jean-Christoph Lemieux and Carter Kostuch … The Battalion is to hold an outdoor practice at the Bill Barber Complex in Callander at noon Saturday, followed by a public skate at 1 p.m. Fans can get autographs and take photos with players and mascot Sarge.
