The Kingston Frontenacs head to North Bay Saturday for Game 5. The team will be looking to avoid elimination and bring the series back to Leon’s Centre on Sunday, May 15th for a chance to push their 2022 OHL Eastern Conference Semi-final to seven games. After a 4-3 Kingston loss on Thursday night, the Troops have a commanding 3-1 series lead heading back to home ice.
OHL playoff goal leader Mitchell Russell (11) continued his hot play with a pair of markers for the Battalion with Kyle McDonald and Paul Christopoulos registering goals for the visitors. Christopoulos is a former teammate of Fronts captain Shane Wright and Francesco Arcuri.
Arcuri extended a point streak to six games (5G,6A) during the late Kingston push with a goal and an assist late in the third period, including a marker on the powerplay with 6 seconds left. It was the second time the Fronts have potted a goal with less then 10 seconds left while on the man-advantage joining Jackson Stewart’s goal versus Oshawa in Round 1. Arcuri, a Dallas Stars draftee, now leads the Fronts in scoring with 16 points, fourth overall in the OHL.
Lucas Edmonds and LA Kings prospect Martin Chromiak also tallied goals for the Black and Gold. For Chromiak, the goal now gives the Slovakian forward a strike in five consecutive games during the post-season. Captain Shane Wright has points in five straight (1G,5A) and with his assist is tied with teammate Zayde Wisdom (11) for third most helpers in the playoffs.
The Frontenacs can feel confident heading into the Memorial Gardens with a tough earned victory on road ice already in their pockets on a Game 2 win. Up 3-0 after the opening period, the Battalion would storm back to tie the game twice in a frenzied building before Arcuri silenced the buzzing crowd with an overtime winner showing the resilience that will be needed to fight back from a 3-1 series deficit. Kingston outscored the Battalion 3-1 and 16-8 on the shotclock in the final period to gain some momentum in the must-win game 5.
Nathan Poole and Gage Heyes both returned to the lineup after injuries in the opening round versus Oshawa. Heyes, who registered the eventual Game 2 winner against the Gens, and Poole both brought physical play with the latter winning 3 of 4 important face-offs.
Game 4 scorers
NB – 4 (Russell-2, Christopoulos, McDonald)
KGN – 3 (Edmonds, Chromiak, Arcuri)
Powerplays
KGN – 1/6 – series (1/10)
NB – 2/4 – series (6/16)
Playoffs Powerplays
KGN – 5/27 (18.5 % 10th OHL)
NB – 9/26 (34.6% – 3rd OHL)
BMW Kingston Hardest Worker of the Game
Gage Heyes
Three Stars of the Game
- Mitchell Russell – NB (2G)
- Ty Nelson NB – (2A)
- Francesco Arcuri – KGN (1G,1A)
Fronts Playoff Notes:
- F Francesco Arcuri extends point streak to six games (5G,6A)
- F Martin Chromiak extends goal streak to five games (5G)
- F Shane Wright extends point streak to five games (1G,6A)
- F Maddox Callens – inj (day-to-day)
- F Nathan Poole – returned fr injury
- F Gage Heyes – returned fr injury
Fronts Playoff Stat Pack – (10 GP)
- Goals – Ludwinski – 1st OHL rookies (7), Arcuri (6), Chromiak, Edmonds (5)
- Game-Winning-Goals – Wright (2), Heyes, Arcuri, Murray
- Assists –Wisdom, Wright (11), Arcuri (10), Frasca, Chromiak, Ludwinski (5)
- Points – Arcuri (16), Wisdom, (15), Wright (13)
- PIMs – Haché (18), Budnick (11), Wisdom (10)
- Shots – Chromiak (33), Ludwinski (31), Frasca (29)
- Powerplay Points – Frasca (3), Edmonds, Wisdom, Arcuri, Wright (2), Chromiak, Stewart, Belanger, Budnick (1)
- Rookie Points – Ludwinski – 1st OHL (12), Soto (4), Budnick (2),Heyes, Stewart, (1)
- Defence Points – Murray (7), Peric (4), Belanger, Hache (3)
- Plus/Minus – Ludwinski (+11), Murray (+9), Arcuri, Peric, Wisdom (+10)
Eastern Conference Playoff Picture Rd 2 – Best of Seven
Miss (4) v (1) HAM – (HAM up 3-0) Gm 4 – Fri May 13 (Bulldogs have no losses in playoffs).
On The Front – Playoffs
The Fronts and Troops head back to the Memorial Gardens for Game 5 in North Bay on Sat, May 14.
Secure your seats to cheer on the Frontenacs run at an OHL Championship today! Tickets are available at ticketmaster.ca or the venue box office.
Game 6 – if necessary, Sun, May 15 @ Kingston, 6:00pm
Game 7 – if necessary, Tues, May 17 @North Bay, 7:00pm
