The time went back an hour today and following suit the Brampton Steelheads claim back-to-back victories over the Battalion, winning 5-4 in overtime in front of 2,960 fans at North Bay Memorial Gardens.
The hero today for the Fish was Adam Zidlicky, finding a nice rebound off the pads of a far shot on net from Spencer Sova 23 seconds into extra time. Putting them in this position was a late tying goal by Carson Rehkopf who had himself a 2-goal night.
Before the game got going there was a small presentation in honour of military appreciation night put on by the Powassan Voodoos Junior “A” hockey program. The presentation featured singing of both Canadian and American national anthems, as well as a rendition of the Last Post, with help from current and retired service members, including members of the 22 Wing of the Royal Canadian Legion.
The visiting Steelheads started the match off in swift fashion as Jack Van Volsen received a crisp cross-zone pass from Martin Vaculik, and Van Volsen lasered the puck high glove past Carter Nadon to put Brampton up 1-0 early.
That lead would not stay for long, as Jacob Therrien would send the puck to Stepan Chukharev who calmly danced into the Steelheads zone, cutting in close to the visiting netminder and shooting, with Andrew LeBlanc burying the rebound to knot the game 1-1.
Continually after the Troops goal, the visiting team would ramp up the pressure and increase zone time substantially. Brampton eventually found a prime chance with veteran Battalion defenceman Wyatt Kennedy heading to the sin bin.
Shortly on said man advantage Brampton wasted zero time, cleanly moving the biscuit along the blue line, Finn Harding to Spencer Sova. Sova would rip the shot at the traffic in front of the net and a perfect deflection from Carson Rehkopf put Brampton back in the driver’s seat.
And if it was Rehkopf who started the car, Porter Martone would be the one to step on the gas, as once again on the man advantage, this time with 0.9 seconds on the clock, Martone would toe-drag the puck and send a blistering wrister to the top blocker corner past goalie Carter Nadon to close out the period 3-1.
Period 2 began as an offensive onslaught from the Steelheads with brilliant breakout after brilliant breakout, with Nadon turning away each attempt, including a nice 2 on 1 sequence where he stretched cross crease to block a prime attempt from the fish.
North Bay came close to narrowing the lead on an outstanding individual rush by the Captain Owen Van Steensel. Van Steensel sped quickly past the blue line, and down behind the opposing net, taking a hit and centering the puck to Chukharev who beats Jacob Gibbons, but not the goal line as the puck came to rest on, but not past, the entry to the net.
What appeared to be a spark that would spurn on the rest of the game would be an old school tilt between Ryder Carey and Steelhead Troy Patton, throwing down the gloves, circling and exchanging blows before puck drop.
“Any time you get someone to throw it down it shows than he’s in the game," Noted Battalion forward, and former Voodoo, Reyth Smith on Carey’s tilt.
"A big fight from the rookie there.”
And being in the game and showing fight was a continued theme after the scuffle, as Smith showed some real grit as he pushed up ice, shoving back defenders to break through the neutral zone, and carried that battle into the corner.
Quickly winning the puck he popped it out to Nolan Laird, who was obliged to send the disc to Finnish import Nathan Teshome alone in the slot, who fired in the second Battalion goal of the game, and his first in the OHL.
Winning board battles would continue to be a successful strategy for the white and green, as late in the period Shamar Moses would win his in the same corner. This time the puck would find its way to Ethan Procyszyn, one timing from the top of the faceoff circle, beating Gibbons to once again tie the game, now at 3 a piece.
Battalion head coach Ryan Oulahen was pleased with how the team played to their strengths, and how playing to them brought them back in a close game.
“It wasn’t something magical, or a systems adjustment, it was pure compete,” noted Oulahen.
“We were starting to win more battles and that’s how we tilted the ice.”
Period three would start like the previous never ended, as just seconds in Procyszyn would force a turnover and burn up the ice with the captain, a quick pass to pull Gibbons across, then getting the puck back, Procyszyn would get his second of the bout, and give the Troops their first lead of the game, 4-3.
Through the period would be a battle of rushes, one paying off late in the game for Brampton. Carson Rehkopf blitzed up the ice, picked his spot and sent a missile high and far side to beat Nadon, and would be what sent the game to overtime.
Just 23 seconds into the extra frame the Steelheads won a tangled draw at center ice. Spencer Sova found space below the blue line and flung a low shot towards Nadon, rebounding off the pad and finding an unattended Adam Zidlicky, who promptly popped the puck to the mesh, ending the game 5-4 for the visiting Brampton team.
With this win the Battalion extend their loss streak to 4, albeit picking up a singular point for reaching overtime. Brampton staring a win streak now at 2 in a row.
The next Battalion game is on the road in Windsor to take on a hot Spitfires team on Thursday, November 7 at 7:05 p.m .
