Battalion wins opener 1-0
Goaltender Jack Lisson made 26 saves for the shutout in his Ontario Hockey League playoff debut as the North Bay Battalion defeated the Peterborough Petes 1-0 Thursday night in the opener of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal.
Lirim Amidovski scored the only goal as Lisson earned the Battalion’s first playoff shutout since Mike McIvor made 36 saves in a 5-0 victory over the host Sudbury Wolves in the fourth-game finale of a conference semifinal series on April 18, 2024.
Peterborough goaltender Easton Rye, also making his first OHL postseason appearance, faced 30 shots before 2,702 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.
The second game is scheduled on the same ice at 7:05 p.m. Friday.
“It’s such a tight hockey game it feels like it’s going to take a bounce like it did there for a goal to go in to be the difference maker,” said Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen, who celebrated his 41st birthday.
“I’m proud of the guys, obviously a good start. We know, if we’re going to have success in the series, we had to get at least one here in this building, but it’s just a start. We’re going to have to regroup and get right back at it here tomorrow.”
Amidovski scored at 15:43 of the second period when his screened wrister from the blue line hit the crossbar, deflected off Rye’s back and rolled into the net. Nolan Laird drew the sole assist on Amidovski’s fifth career playoff goal.
North Bay, which had a 14-13 edge in shots in the frame, was shorthanded for six minutes early in the period after Nick Wellenreiter received a double minor for high-sticking and the Troops were assessed a bench minor for too many men on the ice, but the Petes failed to create any offence.
The Battalion’s best chance during its lone power play came in the eighth minute when Kaden Pitre drilled the puck off the post.
The Battalion outshot the Petes 7-4 in the third period. The hosts’ best chance came in the sixth minute when Grayden Strohack fired a shot from the blue line off the crossbar, and Adam Novotny threatened in tight in the 17th minute.
Sebastien Gervais broke alone toward Rye in the 15th minute, but the pursuing Garrett Frazer foiled the play with a poke of his stick.
Good work by the Troops in the Peterborough end kept Rye in the net until there were 47 seconds left to play, and the Petes were unable to generate a solid scoring chance with the extra skater.
The first period saw tight checking, with each team recording nine shots. North Bay’s best chance came early in the period when Rye sprawled to deny Cam Warren at the left side with the rebound of a right-wing drive by Amidovski. The Petes, who enjoyed two power plays in the period, tested Lisson with the man advantage in the sixth minute when Brayden McCallum took a long pass from Rye and broke in off the right wing.
Bronson Ride and Strohack tangled in a spirited fight in the eighth minute, with Ride rallying from a slip to get the takedown.
Game 2 can be seen live in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700.
BATTALION BULLETS: Adam Dennis, Battalion president and director of hockey operations, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Jim Aspin Memorial Award as Executive of the Year by the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame. The award will be presented at the 45th annual induction and awards dinner May 2 at the Davedi Club … Rye played 95 regular-season games before his playoff debut, while Lisson played 52 … Amidovski and Ethan Procyszyn topped the Troops with five shots on goal apiece, and Novotny paced Peterborough with five … McCallum was credited with 11 faceoff wins in 12 attempts as the Petes were deemed to win 45 of 72 draws overall … The Battalion went 0-for-1 on the power play. Peterborough was 0-for-5 … Opening lines featured Procyszyn centring left winger Pitre and right winger Wellenreiter, Ryder Cali pivoting left winger Gervais and right winger Amidovski and Warren centring left winger Laird and right winger Parker Vaughan. Evgeny Dubrovtsev centred left winger Arseny Pronin and right winger Ryder Carey … Defence pairings were Ride with Hayden Barch, Aaron Enright with Kent Greer and Carter Kunopaski with Adrian Manzo … McIvor backed up Lisson … The Battalion was without Jonathan Kapageridis, Brandt Harper, Alexander Karmanov and Shamar Moses … Among the missing for Peterborough were Kaden McGregor and, as he has been all season, Lucas Karmiris … Brendan Kane and Sean Reid were the referees.
