The North Bay Battalion have pushed the Kingston Frontenacs to the brink of elimination after a 4-3 victory Thursday evening in Kingston.
North Bay now leads the best of seven series 3-1.
“The message has always been trying to come out and dictate the play from the start and I thought we did that tonight,” Troops head coach Ryan Oulahen said.
“Probably what was different tonight from other games is getting the first one and two goals under our belt there and it was a big difference. I thought we had a really strong first two periods especially and even the third period. We knew they were going to come.”
“They’re a really talented hockey team and they showed how dangerous they can be in the final five minutes of the hockey game and made it close, but overall another good outcome for us.”
After some good pressure by the Troops through the first period, they were rewarded just over 15 minutes in as Kyle McDonald (4) gave them the 1-0 lead. Just over two minutes later, Mitchell Russell (10) continued his impressive playoff run with a powerplay goal to give North Bay the 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
In the second period the Battalion scored the lone goal as Paul Christopoulos sniped one past LeeviMeriläinen on the rush.
A four-goal period began with Russell (11) scoring his second of the game, and second on the powerplay. With North Bay up 4-0, the Frontenacs cracked the defences of Dom DiVincentiis as Lucas Edmonds (5), the North Bay product put Kingston on the board just before the 10-minute mark. With just under a minute to play and Meriläinen pulled for the extra attacker, Martin Chromiak (5) continued his hot series and pulled Kingston within two. With more pressure, and a powerplay to go with the extra attacker, Francesco Arcuri (6) pulled the Fronts within one with six seconds left in the game. However, that would be as close as Kingston could make it and North Bay is heading home with two wins in two games in the limestone city.
“Guys were totally fine,” Oulahen said on the final barrage from Kingston. “It’s awesome when I’m not the one saying it and guys on the bench are saying it and turning to me and saying ‘no problem.’ That’s the maturity and growth we are seeing in this team right now.”
“I have talked a lot about how we have to go through things together on the fly and that’s another experience right there. No matter what the score is, it’s a victory and that’s the way we have to look at it and we did a lot of good things tonight.”
The Battalion look to send Kingston home on Saturday when the two teams do battle at Memorial Gardens. Puck drop is at 7:00pm and you can watch the game on YourTV North Bay, or listen on the Battalion YouTube channel to the Frontline Gameday Broadcast.
“It’s going to be a crucial game,” explained Oulahen.
“We don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves, but we have put ourselves in a good position in this series, but saying that we are going to see their best effort. Their backs are against the wall and the hardest game in a series to win is the fourth one no doubt about it.”
