The North Bay Battalion’s playoff lives could be on the line tonight as they welcome the Sudbury Wolves to town. The Troops enter the night three points back of the Wolves for the final playoff spot in the East, and the two teams will play again tomorrow night. The Wolves can clinch their first playoff berth since 2014 with a victory, while a regulation-time loss for North Bay would mean the Troops would have to win their final two games of the season and get some help to make the playoffs.
Assistant Coach John Dean, who will be behind the bench with Head Coach Stan Butler in Toronto, says it’s going to take 20 guys, bottom line, and he thinks it was pretty clear on the weekend they didn’t have a full 20 guys playing Battalion hockey. Dean says they’re not a team that’s going to go out there and win games because one guy is spectacular. He says they need 20 guys, four lines rolling, six D when healthy and a goalie playing well. Dean finished by saying if they do that, they’ll be okay.
Butler is currently scouting the OHL Cup minor midget tournament in Toronto at least through Thursday and won’t be on the bench for the visit by Sudbury. Right winger Alex Robert has been called up from the Gloucester Rangers of the Central Canada Hockey League for all three games this week, while Butler said Monday that Julian Sime will get the start in goal against Sudbury. Puck drop at the gardens is at 7:00pm.
