Flores backs Niagara victory

Ryan Roobroeck scored an empty-net goal and assisted on the other two as the Niagara IceDogs survived a North Bay Battalion barrage for a 3-1 Ontario Hockey League victory Saturday night.

Goaltender Owen Flores made 43 saves to backstop Niagara, which improved its won-lost-extended record to 26-13-3 for 55 points atop the Central Division and the Eastern Conference, a point ahead of the Oshawa Generals, who fell 5-3 to the host Brantford Bulldogs.

Ivan Galiyanov and Noah Van Vliet had a goal apiece for Niagara before a crowd of 4,153 at the Meridian Centre.

Nolan Laird scored for North Bay, while goaltender Jack Lisson allowed two goals on 25 shots as the Troops opened a two-game road trip that continues at Brantford at 4 p.m. Sunday.

The Battalion is 16-21-3 for 35 points, fifth in the division.

After trailing 2-0 through 40 minutes, North Bay cut the deficit in half when Laird netted his sixth goal of the season at 14:11 of the third period. He collected a cross-zone pass in his own end off the right-wing boards from Ryder Carey and raced away to beat Flores with a shot to the far side.

With Lisson gone for an extra attacker, Roobroeck put his team-leading 29th goal into the vacant net at 19:20, assisted by Braidy Wassilyn.

The Battalion held a wide territorial advantage in the first period, forging an 18-9 edge in shots on goal, but it was Galiyanov who scored the only goal, at 17:50. Roobroeck won the puck on the end boards and fed it back to the high slot, where Jack Brauti launched a drive that Galiyanov deflected home from deep on the right side for his sixth goal.

Parker Vaughan had a solo chance in front in the sixth minute, and Zach Wigle corralled a high pass to set up a drive in the 12th that Flores foiled with his blocker. The Troops failed to capitalize on the only power play, after Blair Scott went off for tripping at 13:21.

Van Vliet doubled the Niagara lead 38 seconds into the middle period, taking a cross-zone pass from Roobroeck and stepping to the top of the left circle to snap the puck past Lissson. What proved to be the winner was defenceman Van Vliet’s fourth goal.

The Battalion’s Reyth Smith fired wide from the left side on a rebound chance in the third minute, and penalty killer Roobroeck missed wide right with Lisson scrambling back into the net after having a pass attempt intercepted with Niagara’s Ethan Czata serving a tripping call issued at 7:26.

The game at Brantford can be seen live in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700.

BATTALION BULLETS: The IceDogs wore orange themed sweaters and socks in support of the Rankin Cancer Run … It was the third of six season meetings. Niagara won 7-5 at home Oct. 12 and 7-3 at Memorial Gardens on Dec. 12. The teams next face off Feb. 2 at North Bay … Czata and Battalion twins Andrew LeBlanc and Jacob LeBlanc were assessed misconducts in the aftermath of the empty-net goal … Lirim Amidovski led the Troops with seven shots on goal. Roobroeck had six for Niagara … The Battalion went 0-for-3 on the power play. Niagara was 0-for-2 … Opening line combinations had Ethan Procyszyn centring left winger Shamar Moses and right winger Amidovski, Wigle skating between left winger Andrew LeBlanc and right winger Vaughan and Ihnat Pazii centring left winger Laird and right winger Nick Wellenreiter. Carey centred left winger Smith and right winger Stepan Chukharev … Defence pairs were Bronson Ride with Jacob LeBlanc, Aaron Enright with Adrian Manzo and Brayden Turley with Kent Greer … The Battalion was without Jacob Therrien, Briir Long and Zach Wilson … Greer returned from a three-game suspension issued for actions in a 4-1 loss Jan. 3 to the host Sudbury Wolves … Niagara scratches were Alex Assadourian, Mike Levin, Mathieu Paris and Andrew Wycisk … Wassilyn leads rookies in scoring with seven goals and 25 assists for 32 points in 36 games … Scott Ferguson and Cameron Fynney were the referees. Photo/article credit - North Bay Battalion