The North Bay Battalion, who sport only one overtime loss point in their past four games, are looking to get back on track as they hit the road for a pair of tough tests in southwestern Ontario.
The 7-7-2 Battalion, who sit fifth in the Central Division, visits the Windsor Spitfires at 7:05 p.m. Thursday and the London Knights on Friday night on a western road trip.
Windsor is 12-2-1 for 25 points, first in the West Division, and has scored 71 goals in 15 games, a league-leading average of 4.73 goals a game.
“The buildings in general are always tough places to play and earn a couple of points,” Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen said Wednesday of the WFCU Centre and London’s Canada Life Place.
“This year both teams are playing extremely good hockey right now.
“You start with Windsor. They’ve got off to a really good start and turned things around from last year, and they’re a team that plays fast. They really play an up-tempo pace and they’ve been able to score a lot of goals this year. Special teams are good.
“We’ve got to get on the road here, and I think kind of play with nothing to lose maybe, that kind of attitude. Just go into these buildings with a mentality of work, compete and find ways to grease things out a little bit.”
Windsor is paced offensively by left winger Liam Greentree, who has eight goals and a league-leading 21 assists for 29 points in 14 games.
The Spitfires captain had six multi-point outings and two four point games in the month of October.
Scouts believe Greentree’s combination of his size, intelligence and puck skills makes him a formidable opponent on every shift – expect him to contend for the league scoring lead all season.
It's another tough test for the Troops defensively after trying to defend Porter Martone the past two games.
“It’s going to be on committee, especially on the road,” Oulahen said of efforts to limit Greentree.
“The five guys that are on the ice are going to have to be aware of him. They have multiple guys, too, that you’ve got to be aware of.”
The Spitfires are defensively adept as well, with goaltender Joey Costanzo boasting an 11-1-0 record. He leads the OHL in goals-against average at 1.67, save percentage at .938, in wins and in shutouts with two.
Pro leads the way
Centre Ethan Procyszyn tops the Troops with 18 points from a team-best 12 goals and six assists in 16 games, and defenceman Jacob LeBlanc has three goals and a team-leading 12 assists for 15 points in 16 games. Right winger Shamar Moses has scored three goals and added 10 assists for 13 points in 11 games since a trade from the Barrie Colts.
McIvor still out
Oulahen said that goaltender Mike McIvor, sidelined since being shaken up in a collision with Sudbury's Kieron Walton in a 3-1 loss Oct. 25 to the host Sudbury Wolves, is “unlikely” to play this week, especially as the Battalion doesn’t play Sunday.
Carter Nadon, who backed up Charlie Larocque in a 7-2 road setback to the Brampton Steelheads last Friday night, made his OHL debut Sunday in a 5-4 overtime loss to Brampton at Memorial Gardens.
“We really liked our last game,” said Oulahen about their resilience in Sunday's comeback OT loss.
“I think when you’re playing that Brampton team, they’re the team that develops the most offence in the league, and we were able to go toe-to-toe with them here. I was really happy with a lot of things we did, so there’s building blocks.
“It’s tough to lose in overtime, but there’s things that are pointing in the right direction. A lot of really good things are starting to come from the young players.”
With 66 goals in 14 games for an average of 4.71, the Steelheads are second to the Spitfires in goals per game.
The game at Windsor can be seen live in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700.
