Troops' Brazeau's Hat-Trick Enough to Beat Colts 5-2
Andrei Svechnikov Ryan Suzuki
Brad Terry
Miranda Zilkowsky Photography
Justin Brazeau and the North Bay Battalion shutdown the chances of Barrie completing a perfect weekend by defeating them 5-2 Sunday afternoon.
The first period got off to a bit of a slow start with neither team really generating any solid scoring chances.
That was until an odd man rush shaped up for the North Bay Battalion that resulted in Teddy Bears flying onto the ice at the North Bay Memorial Gardens.
Brazeau skated the puck into the Barrie zone before throwing it across to Luke Burghardt who angled the puck off of his skate and past Leo Lazarev who posted a shutout yesterday afternoon against the Oshawa Generals. The goal was reviewed but was deemed good by the officials.
The Colts used the Teddy Bear delay to their advantage. Came out of the mini break and put their foot on the pedal. It was a great play that got started behind the North Bay net that had Jaden Peca make a perfect centering pass to Ryan Suzuki who snapped home his 6th of the season behind his former teammate Christian Propp. This is the first game Propp has played against his former club.
Shortly after, Barrie would take a penalty, sending the troops to the powerplay. They wouldn't waste much time taking the lead right back. It was Adam Thilander hammering home a one-timer from the point to give them the 2-1 lead late in the first period.
The second period got off to a rough start. After a couple of early penalties it sent the troops to a five on three man advantage. Just like the first period, North Bay didn't waste much time scoring. Brazeau decided to take a shot from a strange angle as he set himself up behind the goal line and threw it towards Lazarev and had it go off of his pad and between his legs.
You knew coming into this game that former Colt net-minder Propp wanted to have a big game against his former team, and in the second he showed he came to play.
On a Barrie powerplay he would come up with multiple big stops in front, holding Barrie off the board as they looked to chip away at the Battalion 3-1 lead. He also got some much needed help by a goalies best friend, the post multiple times, first on a shot from Luke Bignell and then Andrei Svechnikov.
But on the same shift, Barrie's Russian forward in his third game back in the lineup was able to strike. Svechnikov absolutely stepped into one and wristed it past Propp to cut the Battalion lead to 3-2. The goal was his 11th of the season.
In the third, Barrie started off with some great chances but weren't able to find an answer.
Nearing the midway point of the period it was the North Bay Battalion rewarded with a penalty shot because a Lazarev had thrown his stick towards an offensive player.
That sent Burghardt one on one with Lazarev, but Barrie's Russian net-minder stood tall and shut the door, keeping the score at 3-2.
Brazeau would add his second of the game on another North Bay powerplay extending the North Bay lead to 4-2.
He would add another to complete the hat-trick into an empty net to give North Bay the 5-2 victory.
The Colts are back in action this coming Thursday as they play host to the Owen Sound Attack. This will be the first meeting between the two clubs, and also the first time Colts' Ryan Suzuki will face off against his brother Nick Suzuki of the Owen Sound Attack in regular season play.