After 12 rounds of a shootout the game was finally decided when Brendan Sellan scored to give the Erie Otters a 4-3 win over the North Bay Battalion.

The Troops found themselves down 2-0 in the third before they eventually came back thanks to goals by Justin Brazeau (17) and Brandon Coe (4).

A second goal by Brazeau, his league leading 18th of the season, gave the Troops the lead with less than a minute to play.

But the lead lasted for a brief 18 seconds as Joseph Mack (3) just got the puck over the goal line to even things up at 3-3.

Acting Head Coach Adam Dennis says it was a game he hopes the players learn from.

He says “I hope the lesson is that if you keep showing up for parts of the game and not the full game you’re not going to get the two parts. We sacrificed a point tonight because we were not ready to go.”

Christian Purboo made 39 saves in regulation and nine more in the shootout during the loss which snaps the Battalion four game winning streak.

Dennis says he felt they let Erie control too much of the play during the game.

“We weren’t managing pucks, we were getting pushed around in our zone and their speed really took over. If we’re a team that’s trying to do too much and trying to get fancy, then that’s what happens and we end up playing too much in our own end,” he says.

Before the game, Battalion Captain Justin Brazeau was named the OHL player of the month for October.

He scored 26 points in 10 games, including a seven point night in an 8-3 win over Kingston, which ties a Battalion franchise record.

North Bay is off until Sunday afternoon when they visit Sudbury.

 

Photo by Terry Wilson /OHL Images.

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