The comeback was not to be on Thursday night at Memorial Gardens as the North Bay Battalion fell 3-2 to the Oshawa Generals.
“This one stings,” said head coach Ryan Oulahen. “Quite frankly, I thought our guys deserved to push it to extras there, but a penalty at the end really was the turning point and they were able to find the extra goal.”
“I liked our effort for the most part. I thought we didn’t generate a ton of greasy situations in the first and second but certainly ramped it up in the third and had a nice little comeback so that’s why I think it stings.”
The penalty that Oulahen is referring to is a tripping minor taken by Simon Rose with 2:21 remaining in the game. After a strong effort to tie up the game on goals by Dalyn Wakely and Mitchell Russell, Generals rookie Calum Ritchie netted his seventh with just under a minute left in regulation.
Ryan Stepian scored in the first for Oshawa, and Brett Harrison doubled the lead to 2-0 in the second for the Generals.
The Troops certainly had their chances as they outshot Oshawa 46-22, but went 0-6 with the powerplay, and allowed two goals while shorthanded.
“I just think guys need to bear down,” Oulahen stated.
“There were empty nets, pucks through creases, pucks just off tips of blades. We need a couple of those to go in and it’s a completely different hockey game.”
A bright spot for North Bay has been the strong play of overager Mitchell Russell, who netted his seventh of the year to tie the game at 2-2.
“Mitch is such a joy to have around,” Oulahen explained.
“He’s unbelievable in the room, off the ice, and he brings it each and every shift on the ice. It’s great to see him rewarded.”
The Battalion is back in action Saturday in Barrie, beginning a six-game road trip over two weeks.
“We have to stick with the things,” said Oulahen. “I said to the guys going in to the third, this is the test. We were down 2-0 and playing well at the time and you have to stay with it.”
“Continue to do it for 60 minutes over 68 games you’re going to have it go the right way most often so that will be the message.”
