The Greater Sudbury Cubs skated to a huge 11-3 win over the French River Rapids Dec. 18, tightening their hold on the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s top spot.
The game also saw Cubs’ forward Owen King achieve a personal milestone. With four goals and an assist on the night, King surpassed the 100-point mark on his NOJHL career.
Greater Sudbury got on the board first at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex, with Nate Lazarus lobbing the puck over the glove of French River goalie Matis Bureau-Morel at 3:41 of the first.
“The Cubs generated more chances in the remainder of the session, including during a couple of man advantage opportunities, but Bureau-Morel kept the Rapids in it through 20 minutes,” the game report states.
Moving onto the second period, the Cubs made it 2-0 when King scooped up a loose puck off a Kaedyn Long wrap-around attempt and lifted it in at close range.
At 8:29, Greater Sudbury went up by three after Long fired a crisp cross-ice feed to King, who slammed in his second of the game.
“Capitalizing on their initial power play chance of the night, Michael Morazscyzk put French River on the board midway through the proceedings by cranking in a one-timer from the right side after being teed up by Joey Stiles with a blast that flew past Greater Sudbury goalkeeper Matthew Vahramian.”
A couple of shifts later, Greater Sudbury made it 4-1 after King fed Spencer Horgan who blasted a shot over the blocker of Bureau-Morel.
That assist pushed King past the 100-point mark in his NOJHL career.
It was Lucas Antonioni’s turn next to score for Sudbury, taking a long run with the puck that saw him drive hard to the net with just enough juice to get the puck to bounce up and roll in, making it 5-1.
“The Rapids pulled closer following Vahramian losing an edge and falling along the end boards that gave Bryson Villeneuve a free pass into the slot that Jonah Gareau pumped in,” the game report states.
Greater Sudbury made it 6-2 late in the second after Mason Walker finished off a set-up courtesy of a Eidan Macartney dash.
“Putting it away in the third, King collected his third hat trick of the season and 10th of his career as he flew into the French River end right off a face off in the other end and buried a shot with authority,” the game report states.
With the Cubs up 7-2 at this point, Noah Kohan made it 8-2 after he ripped one upstairs from the right side at 4:43 of the third.
Next, King scored his fourth goal of the game after he grabbed the puck off a scrambled draw and sent a rising wrist shot past Bureau-Morel.
“Picking up another while up a skater, Stiles lifted one in from distance off a Villeneuve pass to see the Rapids convert via the extra man,” making it a 9-3 game.
Twelve seconds later, Daks Klinkhammer found himself alone between the circles and wire in his 15th of the season to make it 10-3. Klinkhammer would do it all over again a couple shifts later for a final score of 11-3.
The win improves the Cubs’ record to 23-6-1-2, good enough for 49 points, five points ahead of second place Timmins.
The Rapids sit last in the league with nine points.
The Cubs now enjoy a long holiday break, with their next game scheduled for Jan. 8, when they take on the Powassan Voodoos at home.