Peterborough Petes Blanked in Opener as North Bay Takes Early Edge — A Tight Playoff Rematch
At the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday night, the peterborough petes watched a single, decisive goal and a goaltending duel decide the opener of a best-of-seven playoff series. Lirim Amidovski’s second-period marker stood as the lone tally in a 1-0 North Bay win, while Jack Lisson closed the door with a flawless performance in his first OHL playoff start.
Peterborough Petes: A night defined by goaltending and grind
The game unfolded as a physical, low-event contest in which saves and board work mattered more than flashy offense. Lirim Amidovski scored at 15: 43 of the second period after a slick zone entry and a fortunate bounce, and that single play proved sufficient because North Bay’s Jack Lisson stopped all 26 shots he faced. Peterborough’s Easton Rye turned aside 29 of 30 attempts, keeping his club within reach throughout the night.
Penalty trouble and heavy defensive moments shaped the middle minutes. North Bay spent ten minutes on the penalty kill, including six consecutive minutes to begin the second period, and Lisson stood tall in multiple key moments to preserve the lead. Petes captain Carson Cameron took a penalty after an incident with Kaden Pitre, and Peterborough’s best power-play looks, including a Braydon McCallum breakaway chance, were denied.
Physicality was on display from the opening exchanges. Less than eight minutes in, Grayden Strohack and Bronson Ride dropped the gloves to set a tone of hard board play and tight checking that carried through the night. Afterward Lisson captured the moment simply: “It’s awesome, ” he said, reflecting on the team win and his first playoff start. That emphasis on defense and structure echoed in the closing minutes as both teams traded chances but not goals.
What led here — history, voices and the road ahead
This series is only the fourth postseason meeting between the franchises, with prior encounters recorded in 2009, 2016 and the dramatic seven-game 2023 series that sent Peterborough on to a league championship run. Ethan Procyszyn, North Bay’s captain, is the only player on the Troops’ current roster who was active in the 2023 playoff run; Braydon McCallum is the sole returning player for Peterborough from that title run. Procyszyn reflected on past battles, calling the earlier series “like going to war” and warning that the matchup will be another tough grind.
Season-long performance and depth framed expectations entering the opener. Peterborough finished the regular season with a 40-24-4 record for 84 points, while North Bay went 38-26-4 for 80 points. Offensively, Adam Novotny led Peterborough with 34 goals and 31 assists for 65 points in 58 games, while Kieron Walton added 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points in 29 games after a midseason trade. For the Troops, Ethan Procyszyn posted 31 goals and 28 assists for 59 points, Lirim Amidovski had 25 goals and 23 assists for 48 points, and Nick Wellenreiter contributed 23 goals and 33 assists for 56 points.
Broadcast veteran and former player Greg Theberge, preparing to call this third playoff meeting between these clubs, noted the balanced makeup of both rosters and expected a close series based on what he has seen. Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen framed the playoff mindset succinctly: “Every shift matters. Every little play matters, ” and emphasized the need for discipline and an even-keel approach as the series unfolds.
The peterborough petes now shift focus quickly: the series played the first two games in Peterborough and moves to North Bay for upcoming contests on Sunday afternoon and Tuesday night. The single-goal margin and the standing ovation for goaltenders left the Memorial Centre with a sense of unfinished business on both benches — a rematch of recent history that promises more tight hockey to come.
Back where the night began, fans who stayed captured the aftertaste of a defensive classic: the small details decided the game, and the answer to which club will seize momentum will come when the teams reconvene in North Bay.
