Kingston over Troops 6-2

Tuomas Uronen scored two goals and added two assists, leading the Kingston Frontenacs to a 6-2 Ontario Hockey League victory Sunday over the North Bay Battalion.

Luke McNamara netted two goals and Tyler Hopkins and Jacob Battaglia each had one for Kingston, which got 32 saves from goaltender Nolan Lalonde before 2,614 at Memorial Gardens.

Kingston, which fell 7-2 Friday night to the visiting Oshawa Generals, has a won-lost-extended record of 5-4-4 for 14 points in the East Division.

Owen Van Steensel scored both goals for North Bay, while goaltender Charlie Larocque faced 31 shots. The Battalion, which dressed 11 forwards and seven defencemen, is 7-6-1 for 15 points, third in the Central Division.

North Bay, which trailed 3-1 at the second intermission, failed to score on a power play that carried into the third period, and Uronen capitalized on a quick break from centre ice to add to the visitors’ lead at 3:19.

Van Steensel tipped home a Kent Greer shot from high on the right wing at 7:39 to pull the Troops within 4-2, but they weren’t to get closer. Zach Wilson had the second assist on Van Steensel’s fifth goal of the season.

Van Steensel hit the right post through traffic in the 11th minute, shortly before Uronen collected his sixth goal at 10:50, weaving between defenders, dishing the puck to Ben Pickell on the left wing and getting a return pass in the slot.

Battaglia completed the scoring on the power play at 18:23, redirecting the puck home from the right lip of the crease for his team-leading 10th goal.

How to Watch Kansas City Chiefs vs Baltimore Ravens: First Matchup in 2024The Battalion’s Reyth Smith was helped off favouring a leg after appearing to take a high stick to the face without a penalty at 18:49, and Wilson fought Riley Clark at 19:03, with the Troops’ Ryder Carey receiving a crosschecking penalty at the same time.

McNamara opened the scoring at 19:13 of the first period off a two-on-one rush against Bronson Ride. Ethan Miedema centred the puck from the left side for a one-timer.

The Battalion failed to score on two breakaways in the period, by Lirim Amidovski at 2:45 and Jacob Therrien in the 13th minute. Lalonde robbed Andrew LeBlanc in front in the 14th minute.

McNamara collected his sixth goal on the power play at 4:04 of the second period when Uronen’s feed to the slot deflected off McNamara’s stick and barely across the goal line. The goal survived a video review for an offside zone entry.

Hopkins struck 57 seconds later, snapping the puck over Larocque’s left shoulder from the left-wing circle off a back pass from Miedema. It was Hopkins’s sixth goal.

After the Battalion seized the momentum and besieged Lalonde in the second half of the frame, Van Steensel replied at 18:38 with his fourth goal. Ethan Procyszyn outmuscled defenders through the left circle and put the puck in front for Van Steensel’s conversion into the open side.

The Battalion visits the Brampton Steelheads on Friday night. The game can be seen live in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700.

BATTALION BULLETS: On Redpath Mining Day, president Paul Healy conducted the ceremonial faceoff after Battalion alumnus Paul Christopoulos brandished the 7th Man flag … It was the second of four meetings, after Kingston won 9-0 at home Oct. 4 as Lalonde made 21 saves. The next encounter is Nov. 24 at Slush Puppie Place … Mike McIvor was shaken up in a 3-1 road loss Friday night when Kieron Walton of the Sudbury Wolves ran into the goaltender. Carter Nadon was recalled from the junior A Haliburton County Huskies to back up Larocque … The Battalion went 0-for-1 on the power play. Kingston was 2-for-4 … Opening lines had Procyszyn centring left winger Van Steensel and right winger Shamar Moses, LeBlanc centring left winger Nolan Laird and right winger Therrien and Carey pivoting left winger Smith and right winger Amidovski. Centre Natan Teshome and right winger Stepan Chukharev had various linemates … Defence pairings were Ride with Wyatt Kennedy, Brayden Turley with Jacob LeBlanc and Aaron Enright with Greer. Wilson was the seventh defenceman … Apart from McIvor, the Battalion was without Declan Gallivan, Dylan Richter, Ihnat Pazii, Anthony Romani and Briir Long, acquired in a trade Sunday with the Brantford Bulldogs … Finland’s Uronen was a first-round pick by the Ottawa 67’s in the 2023 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft … Kingston scratches included Ethan Weir and Xander Velliaris … Drew Jackson and Andrew Willmetts were the referees.

Photo/article credit - North Bay Battalion