As far as OHL debuts go, Julian Sime's was impressive. He kept his new team, the North Bay Battalion in the game Wednesday night at Memorial Gardens, but the Troops ultimately fell 5-2 to the Oshawa Generals. Sime made 30 saves on 34 shots (one Oshawa goal was an empty-netter). Sime was named the second star of the game, and gained the approval of the locals.
Neither Sime, nor any of his new teammates had an answer for game first-star and Generals rearguard Mitchell Vande Sompel, who scored three goals and added one assist to pace Oshawa to the win.
Sime, meeting with the local media for the first time, was excited about his first OHL game, but humble and deferential to his more experienced teammates in his analysis.
"I left a great group of guys with the Mississauga Chargers, but I was excited to come up and get my first practice underway," said Sime.
On his first start at Memorial Gardens, Sime said, "It's unreal. You look up at the crowd and all of the people really supporting the Troops here. I had a lot of nerves, but it was also a lot of fun."
On clicking with a new defence in front of him, Sime said, "They keep guys to the outside, and there're a lot of smart guys on this team here. They allow you to see the shot, you react, and they clear rebounds."
Head Coach Stan Butler was pleased with Sime's showing, saying, "I was real happy with the way he played. All you can ask from your goalies is that they give you a chance to win, and I don't think there is any doubt that he gave us a chance to win tonight.
"I know it's a loss, and people might think I'm crazy, but I thought it was one of our better games at home. That's the top team in our conference...we're a funny team this year, we continually find ways to lose games," declared the Battalion GM and bench boss.
Prior to Wednesday's action, the North Bay Battalion were facing a goaltending crisis. Starter Brent Moran and understudy Mat Woroniuk are both healing from injuries that will reportedly keep the duo out of action until the new year. Defenceman Adam Thilander also did not dress Wednesday due to illness.
Sime got the nod from Butler to face the Eastern Conference-leading Oshawa Generals at Memorial Gardens. Sime was acquired from the Mississauga Chargers of the Tier Two Ontario Junior Hockey League. The 18-year-old Sime was an 11th-round selection of the Kitchener Rangers in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection but had been left unprotected by the Rangers.
As of Wednesday, Moran was still the OHL leader in minutes played so there will be opportunities for someone in net for the month of December at least. With Woroniuk out, North Bay Trappers midget goaltender Drew Joyal dressed as Sime's backup.
There was an extra-hearty cheer from the Battalion faithful as Sime calmly smothered the Generals' first chance. At 5'9", the undersized Sime is active in his crease, a different style for the Troops' rearguards to adapt to, as opposed to the taller shot-blocker, Moran.
The Battalion took two early penalties, throwing Sime directly into the fray in his first OHL game. The Troops killed off Riley Bruce's minor and then did the same for Zach Poirier's roughing penalty shortly after, although one Oshawa shot did find the crossbar behind Sime, but stayed out.
The crowd groaned as the Troops were called for a third consecutive penalty, that one on Justin Brazeau for boarding. Sime made beautiful saves on Jack Studnicka up-close, Medric Mercier on a booming point shot, and a third on Generals leading scorer Anthony Cirelli to keep the game scoreless. The Gardens fans again cheered as the penalty expired to show their appreciation.
Fans applauded as Oshawa took their first penalty of the game, a minor for holding on Mercier. The Troops could not capitalize before the period ended, and 50 seconds of the powerplay carried over to the second.
"I thought the first period we started OK, but when you take three penalties like we did, they are momentum killers," said Butler post-game.
The Generals carried the play in the first period, but they could not beat Sime, who stopped all 16 shots that he faced, and fans gave Sime and the team a rousing applause as time expired. The Battalion managed seven shots on Brodeur in the first.
After the powerplay had been snuffed out, just over three minutes into the second, a rushing Cam Dineen passed from the Oshawa corner, feeding Rhys Forhan in front, but Brodeur made the save.
At 4:27, a Generals turnover just on the North Bay side of the redline was gobbled up by Kyle Potts. Potts skated in alone on Brodeur and beat him along the ice, giving the Troops a 1-0 lead.
"I thought Brazeau was our best forward tonight...I think that line, the Potts-Ball-Brazeau line was our best and most consistent until Ball got hurt," said Butler.
Sime could not stop them all, however, as penetrating Oshawa defenceman Vande Sompel took a slick pass from Kyle MacLean and beat the helpless North Bay netminder.
Potts and Brazeau both had chances right in front of Brodeur just under 12 minutes into the period, but the overage netminder closed the door on both.
Whereas the Generals carried play in the first, the Troops turned the tables in the second period. The score was 1-1 after two, North Bay had a 14-10 advantage in shots in the period, making the totals to that point 26-21 in favour of the Generals.
Reflecting after the game, Butler said that, "I thought in the second period we had a pretty good period, and we started bringing the momentum our way."
The third period began with North Bay shorthanded, and the remainder of Eric Allair's slashing penalty to kill off. Islanders draftee Vande Sompel scored his second of the game, and ninth of the season,this one a blast from the point that beat Sime cleanly, giving the Generals a 2-1 advantage. Assists went to Cirelli and Studnicka.
The hard-working Troops battled back, drawing a penalty on Sean Allen, and converting on the powerplay. Steve Harland, who had been buzzing around the Oshawa net all game, scored the game-tying powerplay marker, his 16th, assisted by Brett McKenzie and Brady Lyle.
The Generals went up 3-2 as Vande Sompel completed the hat trick, sniping a shot over Sime's shoulder, helpers went to Eric Henderson and Cirelli.
Battalion forward Jacob Ball was taken heavily into the boards by Alex Di Carlo, who was given a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct for the hit. Ball left the game, and there was no update on his status available post-game.
The Troops could not get one by Brodeur to tie the game on the ensuing five-minute powerplay, and the special teams deficiencies sealed their fate.
"The difference in the game is our special teams let us down tonight. We had a five-minute powerplay in a 3-2 game and we couldn't score. Then they get a powerplay right after that and put it in our net. At the end of the day, they were able to capitalize on a two-minute powerplay and we couldn't get anything on a five," observed Butler.
With just over three minutes to play, Mercier added an insurance goal, and then Henderson potted an empty-netter, giving the Generals an impressive 5-2 road win.
The Generals had 35 shots to the Battalion's 30. Oshawa also led in the faceoff column, 36-20. The visitors were 2 for 6 on the powerplay, while North Bay was 1 for 4.
Working to the Battalion's advantage is their light schedule, leaving practice time to get on the same page with their new addition. The Troops visit the Wolves in Sudbury on Friday night and then do not play again until next Thursday, December 8, when they face the Flint Firebirds at Memorial Gardens. Both games are 7 p.m. starts.
