Conference Race Tightens

The Ottawa 67’s served notice Friday night that they’re not done in the Ontario Hockey League’s Eastern Conference playoff chase.

Filip Ekberg scored two goals to lead Ottawa to a 5-2 victory over the North Bay Battalion, pulling the 67’s within three points of the eighth and final conference postseason berth.

Ottawa improved its won-lost-extended record to 20-30-8 for 48 points, fourth in the East Division and ninth in the conference. The Battalion is 23-30-5 for 51 points, fifth in the Central Division and eighth in the conference. Each team has 10 games left to play, including a head-to-head clash March 9 at North Bay.

Cooper Foster had one goal and one assist for Ottawa, which got single goals from Chris Barlas, into an empty net, and Will Gerrior. Goaltender Jaeden Nelson made 20 saves for the 67’s, who dressed 17 skaters, one below the limit.

Ethan Procyszyn provided one goal and one assist and Jacob Therrien the other goal for the Battalion before a crowd of 3,331. Goaltender Mike McIvor allowed four goals on 33 shots.

The Troops lost 2-1 in overtime Thursday night to the visiting Brampton Steelheads after ending a run of six road games in a 6-3 setback Tuesday night to the Soo Greyhounds, while Ottawa had been idle since a 5-1 home-ice loss Sunday to the Brantford Bulldogs.

After trailing 2-0 through 40 minutes, the Battalion answered when Procyszyn tipped a Jacob LeBlanc shot on the power play at 2:50 of the third period. Nick Wellenreiter also assisted on Procyszyn’s team-leading 31st goal of the season.

Shortly after rookie Nelson denied Wellenreiter on a breakaway, Foster shoveled home a rebound off the end boards for his 17th goal at 6:49 before the Troops capitalized on a two-man advantage at 9:22. Therrien beat Nelson high to the short side from the left circle, with Shamar Moses and Procyszyn assisting as North Bay got within 3-2.

Barlas connected into the empty net at 18:32, and Gerrior broke down the left wing and across the crease to deke McIvor 22 seconds later.

Ekberg opened the scoring at 16:25 of the second period, going to the left lip of the crease to convert a backhanded pass from the goalmouth by Luca Pinelli, who had three assists. Frankie Marrelli drew the other assist, having fired the puck from the right wing.

Ekberg struck again at 19:42, taking a pass from Pinelli and darting up the middle to go in alone on McIvor and tuck the puck around the right pad of the sprawling goaltender. It was Ekberg’s 12th goal.

Pinelli had an open chance in the first minute and fired wide left, and McIvor went to the ice to deny Shaan Kingwell just after a hooking call to the Battalion’s Nolan Laird ended. Laird’s penalty put the Troops short two men for 43 seconds, but the likes of Procyszyn, Zach Wigle and Bronson Ride held strong.

Ottawa’s Matthew Mayich hit the left post in the ninth minute, and Therrien, on a breakaway, was denied by Nelson with the left pad in the 11th.

Ottawa forged a 10-6 edge in shots in the first period, when each team came up empty on its lone power-play opportunity. McIvor produced a sharp right-pad stop on the deflection of a Pinelli left-point shot with 30 seconds left in the session.

The Battalion plays host to the Saginaw Spirit at 2 p.m. Sunday on Redpath Day, which also features Mascot Madness.

BATTALION BULLETS: It was the fifth of six meetings between the teams, with the Battalion having gone 2-3-0. Ottawa won 6-3 at home Oct. 5 before the host Battalion prevailed 3-2 on Oct. 24. The visiting 67’s won 4-3 on Dec. 15, and the Troops posted a 3-2 win Feb. 17 at TD Place … Jack Lisson backed up McIvor after Charlie Larocque was returned to the junior A Carleton Place Canadians. Larocque made 33 saves against Brampton in his first OHL appearance since a 5-2 loss to the visiting Kitchener Rangers on Dec. 31 … Wigle, Wellenreiter and Lirim Amidovski led the Battalion in shots on goal with three apiece. Pinelli paced Ottawa with seven … North Bay went 6-5-2 in February, its busiest month … The Battalion was 2-for-4 on the power play, while Ottawa went 0-for-5 … Opening lines featured Procyszyn centring left winger Andrew LeBlanc and right winger Therrien, Wigle centring left winger Moses and right winger Parker Vaughan and Ihnat Pazii pivoting left winger Amidovski and right winger Wellenreiter. Laird centred left winger Reyth Smith and right winger Ryder Carey … Defence pairs were Ride with Jacob LeBlanc, Zach Wilson with Kent Greer and Jonathan Kapageridis with Adrian Manzo … The Battalion was without Aaron Enright, Brayden Turley, Briir Long and Stepan Chukharev … Among the missing for Ottawa were Kohyn Eshkawkogan, Kimi Korbler and Nathan Amidovski …. Blake Beer and Jack Hennigan were the referees.