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Battalion can't cope with late Spirit surge

'It was four minutes that really came at us quickly and I think our guys were a little shell shocked by it and that can’t happen, you have to stay in the moment'
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Christian Propp has solid effort again despite third period Spirit outburst. File photo.

Story by Matthew Sookram 

Playing on foreign soil for a second straight night, the North Bay Battalion could not repeat the success of their Friday night win in Flint, Michigan - as a four goal third period from the Saginaw Spirit was the difference maker in a 6-2 loss on Saturday night.

Minnesota Wild prospect and Sudbury native Damien Giroux picked up three goals (5) in the span of just under six minutes in the third, to give Saginaw (5-2-1) a fourth straight victory. Giroux’s first of the night at 5:39 untied a 2-2 game. He added two more, in between a goal by Albert Michnac (5) to put the Spirit ahead for good.

Despite being outshot for a second straight night, Acting Head Coach Adam Dennis says North Bay competed with the tough western conference team for the majority of the game.

“Mentally we are a young group who is not used to winning hockey games yet," he said.  

"I think if you were to ask us coming into the game if we’d take a 2-2 tie going into the third against Saginaw, I’d say absolutely I’ll take it.”

Rhys Forhan (1) opened the scoring at 5:31 of the first period. The third-year forward picked up a loose puck of the face-off in the Saginaw zone and his shot beat Arizona Coyotes goaltending prospect Ivan Prosvetov, putting North Bay ahead for a second straight game. Nick King (2) expanded the lead for the visiting Troops at 12:49 of the first with a power play marker.

But that lead was cut in half when New York Islanders draft pick Bode Wilde’s shot from the point got passed Christian Propp at 17:17. Saginaw tied the game in the second period thanks to Blade Jenkins’ second goal of the year.

After the first Giroux goal, there was some animosity shown between the two clubs and a couple of fights broke out within one sequence. All told, Luke Moncada and Max Grodin were sent to the box with fighting majors and Patrick Brown and Reagan O’Grady each got two minutes for roughing.

It was after this tussle that Saginaw burst through with three more goals in less than two minutes.

“It was four minutes that really came at us quickly and I think our guys were a little shell-shocked by it and that can’t happen, you have to stay in the moment," said Battalion assistant coach Adam Dennis.  

"If that first one goes in, we can’t panic, we have to go right back to work. I didn’t think we responded very well.”

Several players for the Spirit had multi-point nights. The third period hat trick for Giroux gave him a total of five points as he chipped in with two assists. Cole Coskey had three helpers while Michnac had a goal and two assists.

Propp started for a second straight night and despite some brilliant saves during the contest it is the fifth time this season he has allowed at least five goals in a game. But if not for Propp’s stellar play throughout the first and second periods the game could have been out of reach for the Battalion early on with Propp facing 34 shots in total against the Spirit.

With several injuries to key players, the Battalion was forced to dress seven OHL rookies in Saturday’s game, and Dennis says every time they get on the ice it’s a learning experience.

“It’s an opportunity for the guys that are here," he said.  

"We obviously think they are OHL players and that’s why they are in our lineup.”

He adds they aren’t looking at the injured reserve list and feeling sorry for themselves either. 

“You always feel bad whenever somebody goes down, you feel bad for that individual, but the hockey games go on and it’s an opportunity for those other guys.”

The Battalion road trip will culminate on Sunday afternoon back on the Canadian side of the border, as they face the Soo Greyhounds. The last time North Bay and the Soo met it was a 6-0 win for the Greyhounds back on September 22.

Since moving to North Bay, the Battalion have done a Michigan/Sault Ste. Marie type of road swing in which they played three games in three days almost every year and the results are as follows:

2017-2018 NB 5-1 FLNT, NB 1-6 SAG, NB 1-3 SSM
2016-2017 NB 3-6 FLNT, NB 3-2 SAG, NB 2-5 SSM
2015-2016 NB 2-SAR 5, NB 2-SAG 5, NB 4-5 SSM (SO)
2014-2015 played Plymouth and Saginaw no third game
2013-2014 NB 1-2 SSM, NB 3-2 SAG, NB 5-2 SAR
 
The Troops are 5-8-1 overall in these games including the two that have already taken place this weekend.