One down and still three to go for the North Bay Battalion
The Battalion escaped elimination on Wednesday scoring late and winning in overtime. Now the scene shifts to Oshawa with the Gens still way up in this series
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Most familiar with Ryan Oulahen’s work behind the North Bay Battalion’s bench weren’t surprised that his team would fight hard despite being down 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals against Oshawa.
North Bay was 69 seconds away from elimination before Paul Christopolous sharp-angled wrister somehow found the twine sending the game into overtime.
Mike McIvor was great keeping the puck out as he made five saves in the first six minutes of overtime and Sandis Vilmanis did some more Sandis Valmanis things-scoring a beauty to end the game and keep the Battalion breathing.
Vilmanis was asked to recall his OT winner and it was already a foggy recollection.
“I actually don’t remember everything that happened. We got in the (offensive zone), their ‘d’ committed to (Liam) Arnsby so I got the puck and just had to finish it,” says Vilmanis, who had a four-point night.
For Oulahen, it was a night that the North Bay crowd kept the Battalion pumped up no matter the situation.
“Sandis and I were talking about it on the way up here (to be interviewed), he is going on to play games in the NHL, but is going to remember games like this,” says Oulahen. “This community, with this crowd, everything that is going on now (he will remember) maybe more than when he plays for the Florida Panthers.”
Anthony Romani, he of the 58 regular season goals, was back in the lineup, after missing more than a month of action.
“It is great to have him back,” says Vilmanis, who became the club’s top playoff scorer with Romani absent.
“He was a big missing piece on our first line, as they had spent a lot of time together and that first line is something else.”
Next up, the fifth game in Oshawa Friday and the Battalion are still up against it.
“I’m a big believer that in the playoffs that when the between tonight and when the puck drops Friday you can shift the mental edge,” says Oulahen. “Today all the pressure was on us. Now going into Oshawa, you are trying throw a little pressure on them. They will be on home ice and have time to think about it. Oshawa wants to finish it off on home ice so the pressure shifts to them and we can play free (of that pressure),” remarked the Battalion coach.
Derek Laxdahl says his Generals will be ready in Oshawa on Friday and they don’t need to change anything between Wednesday night and Friday.
“I like our game and I liked the way we played. They got a seeing-eye goal to tie the game up and they are a good hockey club,” says Laxdahl. “We get a chance to play before our fans and get after it.”
One very interesting factor in the game was that North Bay had three power plays compared to just one for Oshawa. A far cry from earlier power play comparisons in the first three games of this series.
Game 5 will be at 7:35 pm in Oshawa on Friday night.
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