If success is where preparation and opportunity meet, then North Bay Battalion captain Mike Amadio has figured out that formula.
With the game on the line in a thrilling three-on-three sudden death overtime against the Mississauga Steelheads on Thursday night, the fourth-year Troop once again proved why he’s the clear cut leader of his team, scoring the game-winning goal on a scrambled offensive rush to topple the Trout 2-1.
“I was looking to pass to [defenceman] Cam Dineen backdoor the whole time and I saw [Steve] Harland come in at the last second,” Amadio said in retrospect. “I gave it to him, he gave it right back, and I had quite a bit of time to go five-hole, but I got the rebound and put it in.”
The win is a shot of redemption for the North Bay boys, who were dealt a disheartening 7-0 loss in their last matchup with Mississauga.
Amadio’s heroics earned him first-star honours on the evening, while Zach Poirier, the other North Bay goalscorer, earned a third star for his strongest game in a long time.
Between the pipes, second star Jake Smith was pivotal in the Troops holding off a surging Steelhead offence in the second period, denying their potent power play on four opportunities in the middle frame alone. Smith's big saves in low percentage situations in the third period also helped the North Bay boys regather their game and prevail with the win.
The Troops were without veterans Brett McKenzie, Mike Baird and Zach Shankar after their respective suspensions from last week’s melee against the London Knights.
And with the obvious void in the lineup, Poirier used the opportunity as the second line centre to show a flash of brilliance that North Bay fans were expecting to see more of this season.
On a first period power play, the sophomore centre carried forceful speed over the blueline, corralled a pass from linemate Max Kislinger and drove wide with a backhand-forehand move to score on the team’s second shot of the game, his first goal in 17 games dating back to the end of October.
“Missing those guys is a big part of our team, but it’s just an opportunity for some of our young guys to step up, and I thought Poirier did a great job scoring that goal,” said Amadio. “He’s been struggling of late, so it’s nice to see him get on the scoresheet.”
From there, the two teams played to an even period, both generating high quality chances off the rush.
The Steelheads came out of the intermission swimming in the same direction though, dominating the majority of the second period. That sustained pressure forced the Battalion to scramble and take some uncharacteristic penalties.
But the league’s sixth-best power play couldn’t convert on any of those opportunities though, and the Troops escaped with their lead intact due in large part to Smith's strong showing.
“I thought in the second they dominated the game,” said Battalion head coach Stan Butler. “If it wasn’t for Jake Smith, I don’t think we would’ve came out of the second period with the score what it was.”
The Troops looked poised to see the shutout through to the end until a lost battle by the Battalion allowed Steelhead forward Damian Bourne to tap into an open net with a little over four minutes remaining in regulation to tie the game.
In the extremely-entertaining three-on-three format, the Troops started two defenceman and one forward, while the Steelheads opted to put three forwards on the ice.
“I think with their three forwards, we had to put two defence out just to counter that,” said Amadio. “[Kyle] Wood and [Cam] Dineen are both offensive defencemen though, so when we had a chance they were able to step up and I thought we did a good job with that in overtime.
“You want to make the right play and you don’t want to give up an odd-man rush going the other way,” he added.
And make the right play, he did.
While it wasn’t the prettiest odd-man rush in major junior history, Amadio was able to make the most of a chaotic situation and send the Memorial Gardens crowd into a frenzy.
“Maybe we feel we have more skill on our backend than we do up front,” said Butler. “We think Wood and Dineen are good, skilled players, whether they’re forwards or defenceman and I think in a three-on-three, you’re putting guys out that are your most-skilled guys.
“But they say your best players have to be your best players and obviously Mike Amadio in overtime found a way to score,” he added.
The Sault Ste. Marie-native now boasts a nine-game point streak, through which he has registered 17 points.
Poirier, meanwhile, looked poised to have a big game from the very early stages, finishing every hit, winning foot faces, and defending the puck well, all while looking calm and confident when pressured.
The Battalion continue to roll in Memorial Gardens, winning their last five home contests dating back to the middle of November.
Thursday night was just the first of three tough tilts ahead of the Troops this weekend though. Next, the North Bay boys host the Niagara IceDogs on Friday night before travelling to Barrie to face the Colts on Saturday night.
“Last year we tied for the division and we lost out on the tie-breaker, so you’ve got to find ways to win these games,” said Butler. “We’ve got another tough game against Niagara tomorrow. They will be a tough team tomorrow […] so every point we can get right now, every way we can find a win, is important for us to go forward.”
The Troops will continue to fight without Baird, McKenzie and Shankar, with the latter two serving their final game on Friday. Baird, meanwhile, will be out of action until the Battalion return from the holiday hiatus on December 29.