Bulldogs-take-3-0-lead

Marek Vanacker’s second goal of the game, at 5:29 of overtime, lifted the Brantford Bulldogs to a 4-3 Ontario Hockey League victory Tuesday night over the North Bay Battalion, giving the Bulldogs a lead of three games to none in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal.

Noah Nelson and Luca Testa had the other goals for Brantford, the East Division champions who finished first in the conference. Goaltender Ryerson Leenders contributed 31 saves.

Jacob Therrien, Ethan Procyszyn and Lirim Amidovski scored for eighth-place North Bay, while goaltender Mike McIvor made 34 saves before 2,729 at Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens.

Brantford, which won the first two games at home, can end the series in Game 4 on the same ice at 7 p.m. Thursday.

“You can’t fault the effort, the compete,” said Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen. “We’re doing a lot of really good things. You know the margin of error is so small, especially this time of year.”

Vanacker, netting his second goal of the series, converted a pass from behind the net from Patrick Thomas in overtime, with Nick Lardis drawing the other assist.

Brantford, which led 2-1 at the second intermission, extended its lead at 3:17 of the third period when Testa scored from the right circle with a shot to the far side through traffic.

The Troops answered with a pair of goals, starting with Procyszyn’s first of the series on the power play at 4:34. Procyszyn redirected a drive by Shamar Moses, who moved in from the right point, with Andrew LeBlanc providing the other assist.

Amidovski tied it 3-3 at 9:45 when he turned to his forehand deep in the right circle and swept the puck home for his second goal of the postseason. Bronson Ride and Nick Wellenreiter had assists.

The Troops were called on to kill a head-checking minor to Procyszyn assessed at 16:51.

The Battalion, which trailed 1-0 after 20 minutes, tied it at 4:37 of the second period when Brayden Turley found Therrien alone at the North Bay bench behind the changing defence. Therrien swooped in on Leenders, moved across the front and tucked home his second goal of the series at the right post.

Vanacker restored Brantford’s lead at 18:34, delaying a cruise across the goalmouth with Ride down and snapping the puck home. Thomas and Lucas Moore received assists.

For his biggest save of the frame, McIvor denied Lardis on a breakaway in the 12th minute.

Nelson struck at 7:35 of the first period, wiring the puck past McIvor from the left circle off a rush. Dylan Tsherna and Leenders drew assists on Nelson’s first goal of the series.

Ihnat Pazii muscled his way in front of a defender and tested Leenders with a short shot from the left side in the sixth minute, and McIvor produced a solid save against Jake O’Brien at the left lip at 12:07.

BATTALION BULLETS: Mayor Peter Chirico was recognized before the game for his role in returning OHL hockey to North Bay in 2013. He appeared on the video board waving the 7th Man flag … The Battalion has a won-lost record of 106-117 in 223 postseason games, including 58-52 at home. The Troops are 60-51 in 111 games since relocation from Brampton, with a home record of 35-20 … The Battalion in 16-26 all-time in playoff overtime … The Battalion is 17-26 all-time in the third game of a playoff series, including 6-10 on home ice … Jacob LeBlanc paced the Battalion with six shots on goal. Lardis led Brantford with nine shots … Jonathan Kapageridis made his OHL playoff debut with the Troops … North Bay went 1-for-5 on the power play. Brantford was 0-for-3 … Opening lines had Procyszyn centring left winger Andrew LeBlanc and right winger Therrien, Zach Wigle skating between left winger Moses and right winger Parker Vaughan and Pazii centring left winger Amidovski and right winger Wellenreiter. Nolan Laird pivoted left winger Briir Long and right winger Ryder Carey … Defence pairings were Ride with Jacob LeBlanc, Turley with Kent Greer and Kapageridis with Adrian Manzo … The Battalion was without Aaron Enright, Reyth Smith, Zach Wilson and Stepan Chukharev … Brantford again was missing Niko Krmpotic, Braeden O’Keefe, Daniel Chen and Ben Radley … Brendan Kane and Sean Reid were the referees.

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