The Greater Sudbury Cubs needed an overtime period to down the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 3-2 on home ice on Dec. 11.
It was an impressive showing for the struggling Miners who gave the Cubs a run for their money despite the fact Greater Sudbury sits comfortably atop the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League while Kirkland Lake, in ninth place, is fighting its way out of the basement.
A full 22 points separates the Cubs from the Miners in the NOJHL, but you wouldn’t have known that last night as Kirkland Lake came ready to win.
The first period was scoreless, with Sudbury hold the edge in shots on goal. The game report tips the hat to Miners’ affiliate netminder, Jayden Claveau, who was making his first NOJHL start, as well as to the Cub’s new goalie, Iain Wintle, making his debut.
Greater Sudbury was first on the board, netting one at 4:22 of the second period after Noah Kohan moved to the top of the right circle and lifted a shot through a screen that Claveau could not pick up.
“A late skirmish in the final minute of the stanza resulted in the Gold Miners going to work on a five-on-three that led to an equalizer when Quinton Pagé, parked between the circles, neatly redirected a Vaive Hickey attempt high over the glove of Wintle,” the report states.
Moving onto the third, Kirkland Lake once again found itself up two skaters four minutes into the period. The Miners capitalized on the advantage when Owen van de Ven jammed in a rebound off a Jake Williams chance from up top, giving Kirkland Lake a 2-1 lead.
“Still down a man, the Cubs struck shorthanded a minute later when Kaedyn Long dashed up-ice after a draw in his own end, then chased down the puck and after being initially denied by Claveau, whipped in the leftovers from the left of the crease to tie things up at 2-2,” the game report reads.
The Gold Miners had a chance to win the game in an exciting way when forward Tysen Anderson was sent in alone on a breakaway. Cubs’ goalie Wintle, however, wasn’t having any of it, and came up with a huge blocker save to help send the game to extra time.
“In OT, Greater Sudbury generated plenty of pressure and were rewarded with the difference maker when Spencer Horgan down low teed up Walker, who cranked in the deciding tally from the left face off dot to end it.”
The 3-2 win improves the Cubs record to 21-6-1-1, giving the 44 points and a comfortable lead in the NOJHL. The Miners’ record falls to 9-18-0-3, putting them ninth place in the league.
The Cubs are back in action Dec. 13 on the road against the Espanola Paper Kings.