North Bay Battalion top Oshawa Generals in double overtime win

North Bay win 5-4 in double OT North Bay Battalion came out on top 5-4 over the Oshawa Generals in Game 5 in a double overtime victory to force Game 6.

North Bay has staved off elimination in their second straight game Friday.

Defenceman Ty Nelson’s second goal in the second overtime period, lifted the North Bay Battalion to a 5-4 OHL victory over the Oshawa Generals, sending their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Championship Series to a sixth game.

Nelson also had two assists.

Right wing Anthony Romani contributed two goals in Game 5 and left wing Justin Ertel had one goal and one assist for the Troop, who still trail the series three games to two.

Goaltender Mike McIvor provided 41 saves, including 15 in overtime, before a sellout crowd of 5,981 at the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa.

Nelson, set up by Sandis Vilmanis, cut across the net front and put the puck home from the right side to secure the Troops’ third overtime win in three opportunities in the current playoffs.

Oshawa had taken a 4-3 lead 11 minutes into the third period when  Luke Torrance scored into a gaping net from the right side after the Battalion failed to clear the goalmouth.

Nelson replied only 19 seconds later off a pass from Ertel.

Oshawa initially trailed 2-1 as the second period closed but tied it on the power play 3:35 into the third period on a goal from Luca Marrelli then Luca D’Amato connected at 6:02 to give the Generals the lead.

Ertel restored balance to the game just 1:24 later bringing the score to 3-3, by racing down the rink to retrieve the puck that was sent the length of the rink by Nelson, and chopping it behind Jacob Oster.

Oshawa’s Luca Rodriguez opened the scoring 2:44 into the second period with his first OHL goal.

North Bay’s Romani responded in kind more than 10 minutes later at 13:15, cashing the rebound near the goal line from a shot by Nelson.

Romani’s second goal came at 18:53 in the second – marking his third goal in three games.

Oshawa outshot North Bay 12-10 in a scoreless first period.

The Battalion hosts the next game at 2 p.m. Sunday at Memorial Gardens.