Battalion downs Spitfires

Nick Wellenreiter scored the only goal in a shootout to help rally the flu-ridden North Bay Battalion to a 5-4 Ontario Hockey League victory Thursday night over the Windsor Spitfires, avenging a road loss to the same team a week earlier.

Kaden Pitre had one goal and two assists and Parker Vaughan, Ethan Procyszyn and Ryder Carey netted a goal apiece for the Battalion, which was missing three blueliners to sickness but overcame 2-0 and 4-2 deficits. Goaltender Jack Lisson made 32 saves through overtime in a strong performance.

North Bay improved its won-lost-extended record to 26-21-2 for 54 points, second in the Central Division, two points ahead of the idle Niagara IceDogs. The Battalion, which lost 4-3 at Windsor last Thursday night in the teams’ other meeting, completed its schedule against Western Conference opponents with a record of 9-12-1.

Ethan Belchetz scored one goal and added an assist, and the Spitfires got their other goals from A.J. Spellacy, Cole Davis and Jack Nesbitt. Goaltender Michael Newlove faced 27 shots through overtime before 2,284 at Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens.

Windsor is 32-11-7 for 71 points, tied with the Flint Firebirds atop the West Division.

“I didn’t love our first period,” allowed Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen. “We addressed a few things that we thought we could do a lot better going into the second, and then it was like a resilient group, doing a really good job to win the second, win the third and set us up for overtime.

“That was kind of the message. It was just chip away and a resilient group that guys had to dig deep for tonight, and I’m pretty proud of them right now.”

Wellenreiter, the first North Bay designee in the shootout, beat Newlove, who then denied Pitre. The Troops didn’t require another shooter as Windsor, going first, saw Lisson foil Nathan Villeneuve, Belchetz and Liam Greentree, who missed the end of regulation and half of overtime after taking a holding penalty and a misconduct for unsportsmanlike conduct at 10:17 of the third frame.

Carey precipitated overtime, in which the Spitfires enjoyed a 5-1 shots advantage, with his 10th goal of the season at 13:29 of the third period. Newlove got tangled up with a teammate behind the net, and the puck emerged to Carey alone in front.

The teams swapped goals earlier in the session, with Nesbitt scoring at 3:51 when he took a Belchetz pass and beat Lisson high to the glove side and Procyszyn replying at 5:43 when he jammed home his own rebound. Carter Kunopaski and Pitre assisted on Procyszyn’s 18th goal, tied with Lirim Amidovski for the team lead.

The Battalion, which trailed 2-0 at the first intermission, got on the board when Vaughan struck on the power play at 8:53 of the second period. Pitre shot from high on the right side, and Wellenreiter collected the rebound, feeding the disc to Vaughan in the slot for his 11th goal.

Pitre, killing a slashing penalty to Cam Warren, tied it shorthanded at 11:46, taking the puck from a defensive zone faceoff, eluding Spitfires at the blue line and breaking away to beat Newlove between the legs. The unassisted goal was Pitre’s 14th and his ninth in 21 games since a trade from Flint.

Nine seconds after Warren’s penalty expired, Davis put Windsor ahead 3-2 with his 15th goal. Wyatt Kennedy, a onetime member of the Battalion who made his first return to North Bay, put the puck to the net, and Davis converted from the right side at 13:19.

Belchetz opened the scoring with his team-leading 30th goal at 7:47 of the first period, redirecting a blue line blast by Kennedy. Villeneuve had the other assist.

Spellacy connected at 14:52, just two seconds after a delay-of-game penalty to Shamar Moses ended. Spellacy emerged from the left-wing corner, circled the faceoff area and snapped his 11th goal through a screen. Alex Pharand and Jakub Fibigr drew assists.

The Battalion opens a home-and-home series with the Barrie Colts on the road at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The game can be seen live in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700.

BATTALION BULLETS: Through the Canadian Mental Health Association, North Bay and District, the game featured CMHA Talk Today, with prizes including a Battalion-autographed stick. Since 2014 the program has provided mental health training to more than 5,800, including players, coaches, billets, parents and club staff across the Canadian Hockey League … In 239 games, Procyszyn has 72 goals and 80 assists for 152 points, one more than Kurt MacSweyn and 23rd in franchise history … The Battalion went 1-for-3 on the power play. Windsor was 0-for-2 … Opening lines featured Procyszyn centring left winger Pitre and right winger Wellenreiter, Ryder Cali pivoting left winger Sebastien Gervais and right winger Amidovski and Warren centring left winger Moses and right winger Vaughan. Evgeny Dubrovtsev centred left winger Nolan Laird and right winger Carey … Defence pairs had Bronson Ride with Hayden Barch, Jonathan Kapageridis with Adrian Manzo and Kunopaski with Alexander Karmanov … The Battalion was without Mike McIvor and Arseny Pronin as well as the ailing Aaron Enright, Kent Greer and Brandt Harper … Windsor scratched Nathan Gaymes, who had completed a two-game suspension after he was issued a high-sticking minor and game misconduct for unsportsmanlike conduct in the home-ice win over the Troops … Teammate Jonathan Brown was back from a one-game suspension handed down after a 7-2 road loss last Friday night to the Kitchener Rangers.