The North Bay Battalion entered the final five games of the 2024-25 season in the drivers seat for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but those hopes took a slight hit after a 6-0 loss to the Rangers in Kitchener on Friday night. And with the Ottawa 67’s continuing to breath down their necks, there will be an even bigger emphasis on playing Battalion style hockey over the final four games and securing those crucial points to clinch a playoff spot. The 67’s (22-33-3-6) beat the Oshawa Generals at home on Friday 3-2 to pull within two points for eight place.
Friday’s tilt between North Bay and Kitchener was a game that came down to the special teams, or lack thereof for the Battalion (25-34-5-0) who went 0 for 6 on the power play, including a five-minute power play in the first period that yielded just a single shot on net. Including the stats in the loss to Kitchener, the Troops have just one power play goal in their last 20 attempts.
Every game at this point of the year is a test. It is a chance for the team to measure themselves as they attempt to extend their season beyond the first 68 games. While the Battalion have been playing a much-improved game overall within the last month and a half, they’ll want to correct the power play and get that clicking again before the postseason begins.
Regardless of their special teams’ numbers, the Battalion were going to be in for a tough test against the Rangers (45-13-4-2) who entered the game with 21 more wins, 39 more points and have been downright dominant at home this season with a 24-4-3-0 record at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Aud with 51 points in 34 games. They’ve outscored their opponents 126-77 at the Aud, the best goals against record at home in the league.
Through the first 40 minutes, North Bay goaltender Jack Lisson was ready for that test. Lisson (3-7-1-0) didn’t get the win in his last start but made 22 saves in a 2-0 loss to Brampton on Mach 7, and he carried that good momentum into the game against Kitchener who heavily outshot North Bay 13-4 in the first period, despite the Battalion having seven minutes of power play time. That included a two-minute penalty to Luke Ellinas for tripping just two minutes into the game and then Matthew Hlacar was given a five-minute major for a check to the head on Aaron Enright at 13:47. It came after Hlacar threw a blatant elbow to the face of Enright near the corner in the North Bay zone and Enright did not return to the game following the play. North Bay couldn’t capitalize on that man-advantage and the period ended scoreless.
It didn’t stay that way for long as the Rangers struck for two quick goals to open the middle frame. Christian Humphreys (10) tapped in the puck into a wide-open net one minute in. The Rangers entered the zone on the rush and managed to pull Lisson all the way out to the glove side post, before Cameron Reid centred it to Humphreys, who deposited the puck into the empty net for a 1-0 Rangers advantage.
It turned into a 2-0 lead just over a minute later when Alexander Bilecki (3) stole the puck in the neutral zone and went in on a two-on-one. Bilecki kept the puck himself coming down the right side of the ice and sniped a shot high glove side to beat Lisson at 2:17.
The Battalion managed just five more shots on Jackson Parsons in the second period and after 40 minutes the Rangers held a 2-0 lead on the scoreboard and a 24-9 lead in shots.
The game was still within their grasp in the third period, but they would need to come out of the gates firing on all cylinders, and unfortunately for the Troops, it was Tanner Lam of the Rangers who proved to have that mentality over the final 20 minutes of play. Lam, the 41st pick overall in 2023 (Kitchener, second round), recorded his first career hat-trick with goals at 1:09, 5:06 and 16:57 – with the final one showering the Rangers ice with several hats to acknowledge the hat trick. Lam’s three goals give him 13 on the season, which ties his personal mark he set in his rookie season last year, and he’s also eclipsed the 50 point plateau for the first time in his career.
On the other end of the ice, Parsons made 10 final saves in the third period, to stop all 19 shots fired at him by the Battalion to improve to 36-11-3-0, earning his fifth shutout of the season. Parsons had won his last five starts going into Friday night’s game but had allowed four goals in a 7-4 win over Windsor in his last start on March 7. Over his last eight starts he has been in a pattern of allowing either four goals against, or one goal against, but has gone 6-1-1-0 in those contests, getting plenty of support from the guys in front of him during that stretch.
The Troops play three of the final four games at home starting on Sunday when they host the 2024-25 Central Division champion Barrie Colts; a title the Battalion had held for the past three seasons. They will finish the year with games against Oshawa and Sudbury at home, sandwiched around a visit to St. Catharines to play the Niagara IceDogs next Friday.