Battalion snap Greyhounds winning streak (15 photos, video)

Injuries and a short-bench caught up with the Soo Greyhounds.

Playing their final road game of the Ontario Hockey League regular season, the Greyhounds dropped a 4-2 decision to the North Bay Battalion on Wednesday night.

Despite getting three players back from injury, the team played the game with 17 skaters in a game that ended their 12-game winning streak.

“I didn’t think we were great,” said Greyhounds Coach Sheldon Keefe. “Today was one of those games that we’ve been waiting for with the injuries and things catching up to us. That was an issue for us. Just overall, we were a step slow today. It was a hungry North Bay team playing at home against a pretty casual Soo Greyhounds team playing on the road. It was a tough recipe for us today.”

Anthony DeAngelo and Jean Dupuy scored for the Greyhounds.

Goaltender Brandon Halverson made 31 saves.

“He was excellent,” Keefe said of the second-year netminder. “Both goalies were very good. We deserved a lot more offense than we got but (North Bay) probably deserved a little more than they got too.”

After a scoreless opening period, North Bay scored three times in the second period before adding a single goal in the third.

“Despite being outplayed in the second, we had more than enough chances to certainly be all-square, if not in the lead,” said Keefe. “Ultimately, you give up a breakaway and the compound the problem when you’re down 2-0 by taking selfish penalties. All of a sudden two becomes three and that’s ultimately the difference.”

The penalties were a pair of minors to overage forward Bryan Moore in the late stages of the middle period. The initial penalty saw Moore hit with a slashing minor but the problem was compounded when the veteran forward took a cross-checking minor after the whistle. North Bay took a 3-0 lead in the initial penalty as Nick Paul scored for the Battalion.

“It was two extremely selfish penalties that are unacceptable at any time of the year,” Keefe said. “They won’t be tolerated, I’ll tell you that.”

The Greyhounds got three injured players back in the lineup as Tyler Ganly (knee), Blake Speers (shoulder) and Nick Ritchie (concussion) all made the trip and suited up in the game.

“Ritchie had some really strong moments in the game,” said Keefe. “Speers and Ganly showed the effects of being off as long as they were and coming off injuries. Ritchie comes off a concussion but overall his body is feeling good and he was able to do a lot of things. He’s been on the ice a lot more than those other two.”

Nick Moutrey paced the Battalion with a pair of goals, giving him four in his last four games. Moutrey’s third-period goal sealed the victory after the Greyhounds scored a pair of goals in the final period to make the game close.

Alex Henriksson also scored for North Bay while goaltender Jake Smith stopped 33 shots.

The game was an opportunity for the Greyhounds to clinch top spot in the Western Conference but the loss, combined with an Erie Otters win over the Niagara IceDogs means that will wait. The Greyhounds need two points to clinch.

The loss drops the Greyhounds record to 50-12-0-2 while North Bay improves to 33-19-6-5 as they battle for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference. The Battalion currently sit third, one point behind the Barrie Colts and four points ahead of the Ottawa 67’s. The Battalion and Colts are also battling for top spot in the Central Division.

The Greyhounds now wrap up their regular season schedule with four games on home ice beginning on Friday night when they host the Plymouth Whalers. Puck drop is set for 7:07 p.m.

Game Highlights (courtesy BayToday's Chris Dawson)

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OTHER SCORES

In Erie, Devin Williams made 23 saves as the Erie Otters blanked the Niagara IceDogs 3-0. Alex DeBrincat scored a pair of goals for Erie while Quentin Maksimovich also scored. Otters forward Connor McDavid was held off the scoresheet for the first time since Nov. 6. It ended a 27-game scoring streak for the potential first overall NHL draft pick. The last time McDavid was held pointless was, ironically enough, against the Niagara IceDogs. Niagara goaltender Brent Moran stopped 22 shots.

(Photo: North Bay Battalion forward Alex Henriksson takes a shot on Soo Greyhounds goaltender Brandon Halverson durign Wednesday night's OHL game in North Bay. Tom Martineau/BayToday)