Joe Vrbetic is hoping he is starting to find his stride as an OHL netminder.
The 17-year-old is coming off his first OHL shutout over Barrie on Saturday and then followed that up with a 38 save win against the Mississauga Steelheads on Sunday afternoon at North Bay Memorial Gardens.
“He got into a rhythm,” said Battalion interim head coach Ryan Oulahen about Vrbetic.
“He was square and calm.”
While the Battalion is on a two-game winning streak, they face a very tough test Thursday night as the Ottawa 67's pay a visit to Memorial Gardens. Ottawa sports an impressive 42-9-1 record and sit ranked #1 in the CHL.
Vrbetic, who was in goal for a 9-1 defeat in Ottawa two weeks ago, knows it will be a challenge tonight.
“You know it’s going to be a hard game, but you’ve just got to play your best and try to keep the momentum going from the weekend,” said Vrbetic, who sports a 4.38 goals-against average and a .879 save percentage.
“We’re just going to talk about the challenge,” Oulahen told the media about the contest.
“You’ve got to get excited about these types of moments as an athlete because that’s the measuring stick. They are the best team in Canada for a reason.”
The Battalion test will not get much easier on Sunday as top NHL draft prospect Cole Perfetti and the Saginaw Spirit visit the Gardens. The Spirit boast a 34-16-4 record good for first in the West Division of the Western Conference.
