OT Thriller at Gardens
Kieron Walton scored two goals, including the overtime winner, and added two assists to power the Sudbury Wolves to a 4-3 victory over the North Bay Battalion in Ontario Hockey League action Sunday.
Nathan Villeneuve had one goal and one assist and Chase Coughlan the other goal for Sudbury, which got 43 saves from goaltender Nate Krawchuk.
The Wolves have a won-lost-extended record of 6-4-0 for 12 points, tied with the Barrie Colts, who defeated the host Ottawa 67’s 5-3, for third place in the Central Division.
Jacob Therrien, Owen Van Steensel and Nolan Laird scored for the Battalion, while goaltender Mike McIvor provided 42 saves. North Bay is 6-4-1 for 13 points, second in the division, one point behind the Niagara IceDogs, who edged the visiting Kingston Frontenacs 4-3 in overtime.
Walton swept across the mid slot and fired a screened shot past McIvor at 2:35 of overtime. Walton’s sixth goal of the season was unassisted.
The Battalion, which trailed 2-1 through 40 minutes, wasted no time tying it in the third period, when Van Steensel drilled the puck off the crossbar and down 31 seconds into the frame. Shamar Moses and Wyatt Kennedy assisted on Van Steensel’s second goal.
Laird was credited with his first goal 1:12 later when Jacob LeBlanc’s drive from the right circle hit Laird, lying on the ice at the crease, and entered the net. Ryder Carey had the other assist.
Walton tied it 3-3 just 36 seconds later, beating McIvor between the legs with a quick shot from the right boards after the puck bounced behind the net. Nick DeAngelis and Kocha Delic had assists.
Lirim Amidovski was called for goaltender interference at 10:26 despite doing his best to avoid Krawchuk, and penalty killers Ethan Procyszyn and Van Steensel both had solid chances.
Therrien struck on the power play at 16:17 of the first period, with 35 seconds left in a seven-minute man advantage that followed a boarding minor and slew-footing match penalty to Blake Clayton. He committed the first offence in the offensive zone and, as play continued during the delayed call, slew-footed Amidovski near the Sudbury blue line.
Therrien ripped his third goal from the left faceoff dot on assists by LeBlanc and Moses.
Coughlan replied with his team-leading seventh goal at 18:12 after a right-wing shot was deflected to him at the left side. Villeneuve and Walton assisted.
The Battalion plays host to Ottawa at 7 p.m. Thursday.
BATTALION BULLETS: On Indigenous Youth Day, Chief Cathy Stevens of Nipissing First Nation was joined on the ice by former players Dave Avery, Mike Penasse and Dan Frawley, onetime captain of the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins … In 210 games, Van Steensel has 64 goals and 90 assists for 154 points, tied with Brad Chenier for 20th place in franchise history … LeBlanc, who has three goals and 11 assists for 14 points in 11 games, leads OHL defencemen in scoring … Andrew LeBlanc led North Bay with seven shots on goal. Villeneuve paced Sudbury with eight … The Battalion was 1-for-3 on the power play. Sudbury went 1-for-4 … Opening lines had Procyszyn centring left winger Van Steensel and right winger Moses, Andrew LeBlanc pivoting left winger Natan Teshome and right winger Therrien and Carey centring left winger Laird and right winger Amidovski. Dylan Richter centred left winger Reyth Smith and right winger Stepan Chukharev … Defence pairings were Bronson Ride with Kennedy, Turley with Jacob LeBlanc and Aaron Enright with Greer … The Battalion was without Declan Gallivan, Ihnat Pazii, Anthony Romani, Tyson Rismond and Zach Wilson … Among the missing for Sudbury were injured captain Donovan McCoy and Quentin Musty, who’s believed to be at home in Hamburg, N.Y., awaiting a trade after being reassigned by the NHL’s San Jose Sharks … Matt Boulby and Cameron Fynney were the referees. Photo/article credit - North Bay Battalion
