Boris Katchouk blasted a shot through traffic moments after missing a clear breakaway chance on 3 on 3 overtime as the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds edged the North Bay Battalion 2-1.
“You hope to always score on the first chance but you have to have that second chance effort, I didn’t have any puck luck and then Timmins passed to me from behind the net and it was a good goal,” said Katchouk, who has had success the past two seasons playing at Memorial Gardens.
Katchouk had a pair of two-goal efforts last season in victories by the Greyhounds over the Troops at Memorial Gardens in November and February.
The goal did not come without controversy as moments before Cam Dineen was hauled down on a rush with no call by the officials. That irked Battalion bench boss Stan Butler who left the game livid.
“I think it was pretty simple, Cam Dineen gets tripped and the referee doesn’t call an obvious penalty and they go down the other end and score,” he said bluntly.
The OT game was the second straight for the Battalion as many fans were expecting repeat heroics from Dineen, who had the OT winner against the Wolves on Wednesday night. Despite the loss, Butler was impressed with how his team kept up with the highly speedy and skilled Greyhounds.
"I thought defensively we played pretty good, they are a very talented team, they have good offensive players and they play at a good pace and for the most part, I don't think we gave them very many scoring chances," said Butler.
The loss drops the Battalion to 3-0-1 on the season but gives them points in their first four contests.
Less than six minutes in Battalion drew first blood on an early power play as Cam Dineen whistled a puck through traffic and past Connor Hicks on the Troops third shot of the game which made it 1-0.
The Hounds nearly got the equalizer on a shorthanded 2-on-1 as Boris Katchouk fed Keeghan Howdeshell and his quick shot in the slot was grabbed by Julian Sime which was clearly the best save in the opening period.
Early in the second, the Hounds evened the score as Hayden Verbeek ripped a shot high glove past Sime off the rush to even things 1-1.
After the goal, the Hounds continued to increase the pace of the game as they clearly had got rid of any bus legs in the middle frame.
The Battalion took three third-period penalties, but the Troops kept most of the chances to the outside and when they didn’t Sime was up to the task.
Hicks on the other end, made two key stops in the final two minutes on a Battalion 2 on 1 with two great chances stopped on OHL scoring leader Luke Burghardt.
