IceDogs take a bite out of the Troops

A second period hat trick by Ryan Roobroeck helped propel the Niagara IceDogs over the hometown North Bay Battalion 7-3 on Thursday.

“Did a lot of good things tonight,” head coach Ryan Oulahen said. “I thought we played on our toes, developed a lot of chances. The difference in the game is the script for that team, they have some high-end, high octane players.

“Their three best guys literally capitalized on every chance they had, and that was ultimately the difference.”

With some back and forth action, the Battalion finally broke out for a quick rush. Nolan Laird (4) passed the puck to Stepan Chukarev while entering Niagara’s zone, and Chukarev fed it right back with Laird roofing it short side over Owen Flores’s glove 3:21 into the game.

The IceDogs didn’t step off the pedal though as minutes later the puck found a wide open Kevin He (21) in the slot. He made no mistake, beating Charlie Laroque to tie the game up 1:32 later.

After a 1-1 first period, the Battalion continued the attack early in the second. However, on four-on-four play, Niagara scored. A light pass from behind the Battalion net found Jack Brauti (4) skating in at the top of the left faceoff circle, and he beat Laroque cleanly between the right pad and glove.

On the ensuing play, 18 seconds later, Ethan Procyszyn took a penalty for holding. When it rains, it pours, because 11 seconds later Andrei Loshko (14) beat Laroque. The two goals for the IceDogs came a combined 29 seconds apart to take the score from 1-1 to 3-1 Niagara in a hurry.

Keeping up the pressure, Niagara struck again moments later. Kent Greer fanned on a clearing attempt from the Battalion zone, then an IceDog player found the loose puck, threw it out front, and for a moment it was on Greer’s stick before bouncing right to Roobroeck (21) in the left faceoff circle. Roobroeck’s shot beat Laroque in the exact same spot of Brauti’s, looking like a carbon copy as it beat the netminder between his right pad and glove.

No one can ever say Niagara is nothing but perceptive as Roobroeck (22) added on the exact same way, from the left faceoff circle, between Laroque’s right pad and glove hand…however, this one was on a powerplay…so slightly different.

Completing the natural hat trick, Roobroeck (23) beat Laroque again..this time shorthanded and on the breakaway. Leading to the goal was an offensive zone breakdown that saw Alex Assadourian pick up the puck and find Roobroeck, who made his way in on the Troops netminder, beating him backhanded after a nifty deke.

Not only did Roobroeck complete the hat trick, but all three goals came in a different scenario. One at five-on-five, one on the powerplay, and the last shorthanded. All three goals came in the span of 5:42 of game time.

At the next “tv timeout” Mike McIvor replaced Laroque in the blue paint for North Bay. Perhaps buoyed by the goaltending change, Laird (5) struck again. This time, Chukarev found Laird in the slot and he was able to beat Flores between the legs.

Adding to the theory of the McIvor change, Ethan Procyszyn (20) scored the second Battalion tally in just over as many minutes, batting home a Jacob Therrien lob pass, beating Flores.

That’s not a theory Oulahen is willing to subscribe to, however.

“I think goals just went in the net,” Oulahen said. “You look at how we were playing, the chances we were developing, we were on our toes. It’s hard to be disappointed when we are developing that much, and you’re getting quality looks.

“It is what it is, and you make a decision to make that change. We know Mike has to play tomorrow night, so we didn’t want to have him play too much.”

The score after the second was 6-3 IceDogs.

After some pressure by the Battalion, the team found themselves up a couple of players on the powerplay. Pulling McIvor with over six minutes left, the Troops found themselves up six-on-three. However, without North Bay scoring the IceDogs did when the penalties expired, as Loshko (15) netted the empty netter with 5:03 left in the game. That made the score 7-3 Niagara, and the final.

All told, North Bay fired 57 shots on Flores, while Niagara sent 37 towards McIvor and Laroque.

North Bay is back in action tomorrow in Oshawa as they face off against the Generals. Oshawa fell 4-3 in overtime Thursday to the lowly Peterborough Petes.

“We quickly talked to the guys,” Oulahen said. “It’s a quick recovery. It’s all about meal, nutrition, good sleep. We have been waiting for the game in Oshawa for a long time. There’s no secret to that, I think the guys will be excited. It’s a game in which the coaches don’t need to say too much.”

Friday’s game in Oshawa will mark the first matchup between last year’s Eastern Conference Finals foes. Game 7 of that series went in Oshawa’s favour on May 6 at the Tribute Communities Centre.

“I’m looking forward to it, I can’t lie,” Oulahen stated. “Even playing in the CHL game in Oshawa, I didn’t like that feeling walking in that hallway, especially being in their dressing room.

“It was eerie for me, so looking forward to getting there tomorrow."