Ryan Oulahen likes to focus on one game at a time, but the Battalion skipper realizes they have a challenging week of Ontario Hockey League hockey ahead.
The Ottawa 67’s are at Memorial Gardens at 7 p.m. Thursday before the Battalion heads west to face the Sudbury Wolves on Friday night and plays host to the Kingston Frontenacs on Sunday.
North Bay has a record of 6-4-1 for 13 points, second in the Central Division.
Ottawa, 3-4-2 for eight points, fourth in the East Division, is 0-3-2 since its last win, a 5-4 overtime decision on Oct. 6 at Kingston. On Oct. 5, coach Dave Cameron’s 67’s defeated the visiting Battalion 6-3 with Luca Pinelli registering three goals and one assist and Cooper Foster three goals. Each had an empty netter.
“I look at the weekend that we have, all three opponents are tough opponents, a tough weekend, and then start dialing in, taking it day by day,” said Oulahen.
“Right now all my focus is on Ottawa, and this is a hungry team that’s coming in. Two back-to-back weekends where they probably didn’t get the points that they would have liked, so it’s a dangerous, dangerous opponent.
“We played them earlier in the season, and I was very impressed with their team speed and just the way they were playing as a team, so I would expect them to come in here pretty hungry, and that’s dangerous for us. Always well-coached. We know what they’re going to try to do; they know what we’re going to try to do. This comes back from a few years ago into the playoffs, (and) obviously the exhibition games as well.
“Starting with that game, it’s a game where you’ve got to play dialed in, you’ve got to play 60 minutes, and you’ve got to earn it because they’re not going to give you anything for free.”
Start on time
The Battalion has been susceptible to slow starts to games early in the season, so Oulahen and his staff are working to ensure that the Troops are on the move sooner.
“You’re trying to replicate that into practice, so right away just getting into a game-like scenario, a game-like drill. We’re able to get the goaltenders out and get them warmed up, but those are the types of things that we are focusing on, and hopefully, it does translate.
“I’ve certainly liked our start in the last couple of games a lot better. I don’t know what it is. We sometimes wait to make sure nothing bad happens and then start playing. I’d just like us to get hummin’ a little bit earlier, for sure.”
While the loss of right winger Anthony Romani and left winger Ihnat Pazii to broken collarbones cuts into the lineup, Oulahen suggested that their absences provide chances for others to shine.
“I know we’re missing some guys, or guys are out of the lineup, but that’s just opportunity. I think if you had a show of hands, how many guys would be excited to play the power play PP1 because Romani’s out right now, there would be a lot of guys that are excited about that, and sometimes that can elevate your team a little bit.”
Fourth line shine
The trio of Dylan Richter, Reyth Smith, and Stephan Chukharev has been raising their game recently.
"I think they are coming off their best weekend and you can argue they were not our fourth line in the Brantford game. They were one of our top lines that night driving a lot of offence and driving a lot of plays for us," explained Oulahen.
He sees their play of late as a team strength.
"The depth in the lower part of our lineup is really strong and for those guys, if they can outplay the other team's so-called third or fourth lines is a good advantage for us."
Draft eligible
Meanwhile, four members of the Battalion appear on the National Hockey League’s ‘Preliminary Players to Watch List’ for the 2025 NHL Draft, expected to be held at Los Angeles. The document, released Wednesday, is essentially a finder’s list and doesn’t purport to contain detailed rankings.
Goaltender Charlie Larocque and right winger Shamar Moses are listed as C prospects, meaning they are considered fourth- or fifth-round candidates. Right winger Lirim Amidovski and goaltender Mike McIvor, who was undrafted when first eligible last year, are assigned a W rating as sixth- or seventh-round candidates.
