It was an end to end contest with great chances, great saves but in this goaltending duel, the visiting netminder stood taller as Olivier Lafreniere made 40 stops in a 3-2 victory for the Ottawa 67’s over the Battalion.
A familiar face also came back to haunt his former team as Jared Steege, who left the Troops in the Ryan Kujawinski trade, contributed offensively with three assists and was named the game’s first star.
“It’s always nice, I always like returning to Memorial Gardens whether I am on this side or the other side it is always a fun time playing in front of this crowd and obviously it was nice to chip in offensively but it was nice for our team to get the win,” said Steege.
Battalion Head Coach Stan Butler was frustrated with the amount of scoring chances his team allowed in the one-goal loss.
“We are giving up way too many scoring chances and we are making bad plays at the wrong time and it’s hurting us right now,” said Butler.
“Tonight a couple times again the puck is where it should be for us and what we do is we end up creating a problem and because of that the puck ends up in the back of our net.”
Steve Harland, the game’s second star, netted a goal and had numerous chances, gave kudos to the visiting goalie.
“They are really skilled offensively, they have some skilled forwards and we have to battle with that,” said Harland.
“We certainly had our chances you know their goalie stood on his head, a shout out to him, but we just couldn't put the puck in the net and that’s what it came down to.”
The loss drops the Battalion to 15-15-2 as the Troops suffered their third straight loss.
Early in the first period Daniel Walker had a chance to get his first OHL goal and hauled down on a breakaway but could not convert on the penalty shot as his shot missed the net past goalie Olivier Lafreniere.
Less than a minute later the 67’s capitalize as shifty forward Artur Tyanulin went bar down on Sime from a bad angle on the left wing but it was a perfect shot as the puck lodged into the net as fans and players wondered where the puck went at 6:58 of the first period.
Sime kept it 1-0 as the 67’s hard on the forecheck got a puck to Patrick White in the slot and he tried to sneak the puck around the pad of Sime but he made the big toe save.
The Troops got some help from the goal post on a late first period power play as Adam Thilander lost his footing and Drake Rymsha rushed up the ice on a partial breakaway and his low shot eluded the pad of Sime and hit the far post.
Meantime the Troops converted on a miscue at the 67’s blue line courtesy the 67’s goal scorer Tyanulin, as Bradley Chenier walked in and went through the legs of Lafreniere which evened the score 1-1 with 14 seconds left in the period.
The 67’s convert on another Battalion turnover as former Battalion forward Jared Steege came down the right wing and flipped it into the slot for Ben Evans who lifted it over the glove of Sime for the 2-1 Ottawa lead.
The 67’s Rymsha with his second partial breakaway of the game made no mistake on this one as he wheeled down the left wing and beat Sime low on the far side which made it 3-1.
The play evolved after moments after Justin Brazeau left the ice after taking a puck in the face.
Harland tried to get the Battalion within one while shorthanded as he was stopped on a breakaway as he tried to deke around Lafreniere who stated with Harland to make a toe save.
Early third the Battalion allow a shorthanded breakaway as Travis Barron blocked a shot and walked in with a lot of time but Sime poke checked the unsuspecting forward as Sime bailed out his teammates.
The Battalion pulled within one as Steve Harland was on the doorstep as he slipped home his 18th of the campaign a rebound on a early third period power play which made it 3-2 with about 5 minutes into the final frame.
The goal set the tone for the rest of the period as the Battalion continued to pressure the 67’s but Lafreniere kept the Battalion at bay.
Former Battalion forward Steege gave Adam McMaster a nasty whack which led to another Battalion power play with less than three minutes left in regulation.
The Troops swarmed the 67’s net but the they couldn't convert and Lafreniere ended the night with a 40 save victory.
The Troops are back on home ice Sunday afternoon as they face the Peterborough Petes for their last game before the Christmas break.
