The North Bay Battalion hopes to continue to build off an exciting 3-2 win over the rival Sudbury Wolves last Sunday as they begin a very busy OHL week on Thursday night.
“I just thought it was important for our group to earn some results because they’ve been playing really good hockey,” said Ryan Oulahen, Battalion head coach on Wednesday.
“So hopefully, now that that happens, you kind of love the taste of it and try to do everything you can to keep it going.”
Oulahen hopes that win will create more momentum for a playoff push.
"You kind of love the taste of it and try to do everything we can to keep it going," he said.
The Troops play hosts to the Brantford Bulldogs at 7 p.m. Thursday before visiting the Sudbury Wolves on Friday night and entertaining the Niagara IceDogs on Sunday.
North Bay has a won-lost-extended record of 17-23-3 for 37 points, fifth in the Central Division and ninth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the East Division’s Ottawa 67’s with two games in hand. The top eight teams in each conference qualify for the postseason.
The Battalion is 3-3-0 in its last six games.
Brantford, 26-16-4 for 56 points, third in the East, saw an eight-game winning streak snapped in its last game, a 6-3 road setback Saturday night to the Barrie Colts.
The Bulldogs edged the visiting Troops 2-1 on Jan. 19 to even the season series at a win apiece.
“It was a game in which we probably thought we deserved a little bit better, but they’re a good team,” noted Oulahen. “They’re the type of team that (shows) nothing flashy. Everything’s just really good and really solid so, in order to beat them, you’ve got to go out and earn it.”
Struggling to score goals recently, the Battalion was glad to see Jacob Therrien contribute again after returning from an upper-body injury.
The feisty forward, who has seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points in 33 games, scored the third-period winner against Sudbury.
“He’s somebody that has a little bit different skill set,” Oulahen said of Therrien, who has played two games since losing eight to injury. “He can really be opportunistic a little bit. He’s got that speed that can get in behind defencemen, just exactly what he did on the goal.
“We’re lucky to have him back in the lineup. He’s healthy. He’s got through the weekend feeling really strong and good. Sometimes when you come back from an injury it takes you a little bit to get going, and I expect him to make another step here this weekend as well.”