Bulldogs nip Battalion 2-1
Marek Vanacker and Nick Lardis scored third-period goals, boosting the Brantford Bulldogs to a 2-1 victory Thursday night over the North Bay Battalion in a tightly contested Ontario Hockey League game.
Vanacker added an assist and goaltender Ryerson Leenders produced 33 saves for Brantford, which improved its won-lost-extended record to 41-18-5 for 87 points atop the East Division and Eastern Conference.
Ihnat Pazii scored for the Battalion, while goaltender Mike McIvor made 24 saves before 2,578 at Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens.
North Bay is 25-33-5 for 55 points, fifth in the Central Division and eighth in the conference, four points ahead of the Ottawa 67’s. Both the Battalion and 67’s, fourth in the East and ninth in the conference, have five games left to play, with the top eight teams qualifying for the postseason.
“I loved our game tonight,” said Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen. “I wish I could be standing here after a big win, for sure, but just loved our battle, our compete. A lot of things that we want to do we accomplished here tonight.
“We had a broken stick on their first goal, and the second one we make a little bit of an error. It’s our only error probably of the entire game, and it’s 2-1. That’s just this time of year, and probably the wrong guy got the puck on his stick there late in the game.
“Unfortunate, but I really think that we’re playing the right way right now. We’ve got to continue it.”
On a play that started when Brayden Turley broke his stick at the Brantford blue line, Vanacker beat McIvor high to the glove side from the mid slot at 4:50 of the final frame. Noah Nelson assisted on Vanacker’s 21st goal of the season.
Vanacker went behind the net and attempted a wraparound at the right post, with the puck deflecting in front to Lardis, who ripped the puck home at 10:58. Lardis’s 71 goals are the most since John Tavares scored 72 for the Oshawa Generals in 2006-07. Ernie Godden of the Windsor Spitfires holds the league record with 87 in 1980-81.
The Battalion pulled McIvor for an extra skater but, despite applying strong pressure, failed to get the equalizer.
Pazii struck at 9:30 of the middle period on a two-on-one rush with Ryder Carey. Pazii drove deep into the left circle and rifled the puck past Leenders, with Aaron Enright drawing the lone assist on Pazii’s seventh goal.
Ethan Procyszyn had a dangerous chance at Leenders in the fifth minute on an odd-man attack with Nolan Laird, and the goaltender covered up against Procyszyn when he was set up on top of the crease at 17:18.
North Bay outshot Brantford 8-7 in the first period, when the Bulldogs had the only power play, after Turley went off for slashing at 11:50.
The Battalion visits the Kitchener Rangers at 7 p.m. Friday. The game can be seen live in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700.
BATTALION BULLETS: Subaru of North Bay Night saw March Mania present Shoot to Win $25,000. All three fans who attempted the feat failed. The first 1,500 to visit the Subaru booth received a Battalion toque … The season series saw the Battalion go 1-3-0 after winning 3-2 in overtime Oct. 18 and losing 2-1 on Jan. 19 in the first two games, both at Brantford. The visiting Bulldogs won 3-2 on Jan. 30. If the teams keep their current positions, they would meet in the first playoff round … Zach Wigle played his 200th game, including 173 with the Barrie Colts before a Jan. 9 trade. Wigle, with six goals and four assists for 10 points in 27 games with the Battalion, has career totals of 35 goals, 44 assists and 79 points … Turley returned after losing seven games to a concussion … Each team went 0-for-2 with the man advantage. Brantford has the OHL’s top-ranked power play and is third in penalty killing … Opening lines had Procyszyn centring left winger Andrew LeBlanc and right winger Jacob Therrien, Wigle pivoting left winger Shamar Moses and right winger Parker Vaughan and Pazii centring left winger Lirim Amidovski and right winger Nick Wellenreiter. Laird centred left winger Reyth Smith and right winger Carey … Defence pairings were Bronson Ride with Jacob LeBlanc, Enright with Kent Greer and Turley with Adrian Manzo … The Battalion was without Briir Long, Zach Wilson and Stepan Chukharev … Among the missing for Brantford, which dressed 17 skaters, one below the limit, was Luca Testa.
