NORTH BAY, Ont. — Kyle Jackson scored two goals and added an assist and goaltender Dom DiVincentiis made 37 saves for his first Ontario Hockey League playoff shutout, helping the North Bay Battalion to a 6-0 victory Friday night over the Mississauga Steelheads and a lead of three games to two in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal.
Ty Nelson had one goal and two assists, Josh Bloom contributed one goal and one assist and Kyle McDonald and Justin Ertel scored a goal apiece for the second-place Battalion before a season-high crowd of 3,975.
DiVincentiis, continuing his stellar play, posted the 12th postseason shutout in franchise history and the sixth in the North Bay era, which dates to 2013. Jake Smith, who had the previous five blankings since relocation from Brampton for the franchise record, recorded the most recent in a 2-0 road win over the Peterborough Petes on March 31, 2016.
Starting goaltender Ryerson Leenders allowed four goals on 27 shots for seventh-place Mississauga before Alessio Beglieri, seeing his first OHL playoff action, played the third period, giving up two goals on 11 shots.
The Battalion will attempt to close out the series in Game 6 at Mississauga at 2 p.m. Sunday. If a seventh game is necessary, it will be played at 7 p.m. Tuesday at North Bay.
Coach Ryan Oulahen lauded the consistently loud fan support the Troops received.
“It’s what these guys deserve, to be honest with you. This was impressive. I haven’t seen this for a long time. This building was back tonight. They were a big difference for us tonight, gave us some juice, gave us some energy. You just saw it with our start. We came out really, really ready tonight.”
DiVincentiis, who saved the shutout with a spectacular diving glove grab of a close-range blast by Dylan Gordon at 17:25 of the third period, also came in for plaudits.
“He’s an elite goaltender. He’s just so impressive. The things that you get to see that he does off the ice to be prepared, to do it day in and day out, is so special. Again, he was fantastic, along with the rest of our group here tonight.”
Having forged a 1-0 first-period lead, the Battalion erupted for three second-period goals, sparked by McDonald, who snapped the puck past Leenders from above the left circle at 6:06. Bloom and Pasquale Zito, who had three assists, set up McDonald’s fourth goal of the playoffs.
Ertel connected at 13:40, tipping home a screened Nelson shot from high on the right wing. Petrov had the other assist on Ertel’s first OHL playoff goal.
Jackson scored off an odd-man rush at 17:16, collecting his second goal of the game and series. Petrov and Avery Winslow drew assists.
Bloom beat Beglieri at 2:02 of the final frame, one-timing the puck from between the circles. Zito and Luc Brzustowski assisted on Bloom’s second goal.
Nelson completed the scoring from high on the left side on the power play at 13:29, taking a back pass from Jackson and ripping the puck through traffic to the far post. Zito also assisted on defenceman Nelson’s second goal.
The Battalion struck early, with Jackson scoring with the man advantage at 1:28 of the first period after Porter Martone drew a first-minute high-sticking call. Jackson took a cross-ice pass from Nelson, stepped to the top of the left circle and wired the puck past Leenders’s glove. Petrov also assisted.
The game Sunday can be seen live in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700.
BATTALION BULLETS: The Battalion has an all-time won-lost record of 87-102 in playoff games, including 46-47 in home dates. The Troops are 40-36 in the postseason since relocation, including 22-15 at home. The franchise is 10-15 all-time in the fifth game of a playoff series, including 7-6 at home, 6-4 since relocation and 5-0 at Memorial Gardens … In 17 career playoff games, Jackson has 11 goals and eight assists for 19 points, while in 18 games Petrov has two goals and 17 assists for 19 points, tying them with Dylan Blujus and Marcus McIvor for 15th place in franchise history. In 18 games, Nelson has two goals and 15 assists for 17 points, tied with Jay McClement, Tyler Harrison and Matt MacLeod for 23rd place. Jackson has six power-play goals, tied with Luch Aquino and Matt Duchene for fourth all-time. Petrov’s 17 assists are tied with Aquino and Barclay Goodrow for sixth in franchise annals, while Nelson’s 15 assists are tied with Nick Paul for ninth. Nelson and Petrov have nine power-play assists, tied for eighth … The Battalion went 2-for-4 on the power play. Mississauga was 0-for-4 … As in the previous game, the Battalion scratched Tnias Mathurin, Jacob Therrien, Brayden Turley, Brett Bouchard and Alexander Lukin … Mississauga, which dressed 11 forwards and seven defencemen, again was without Brice Cooke, Ryan Struthers and Quinn Binnie … Drew Jackson and Alex Ross were the referees.
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