A three-goal run by the Greater Sudbury Cubs in the first period was enough to put last night’s game out of reach for the visiting Blind River Beavers.
The defending Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League champions went on to win the game 6-1 at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
“Wasting little time, Greater Sudbury scored on the first shift and initial shot of the evening when Alex Valade lifted an attempt from the left point that sailed through traffic and flew past Blind River netminder Mason Janicki,” the game report reads.
The Cubs added another at 6:23 of the first after Eidan Macartney stole the puck at the Beavers’ blueline, made a little move and blasted a shot over the glove of Janicki for his seventh tally of the season.
“Continuing to impress since returning to the Greater Sudbury lineup last week, Mason Walker buried his fifth goal, in his fourth game of the season, as he wheeled out from the side boards and darted into the slot where he proceeded to wire in a wrister high blocker side,” the report states.
With Greater Sudbury up 3-0, Blind River decided to pull Janicki and Justin Sullivan between the pipes.
The Beavers got on the board in the second period on the power play. Jonah McIndoo hammered a one-timer from the top of the right circle that beat Cubs’ goalkeeper Matthew Vahramian to make it a 3-1 game.
That would be it for Blind River in terms of scoring in this game.
“Up a skater themselves midway through the matchup, Walker notched another by banking one in off the pad of Sullivan while driving down the left wing.”
Before the second period ended, the Cubs would make it 5-1, scoring shorthanded after a Macartney backhand sent Noah Kohan in alone on a breakaway. Kohan didn’t fumble the chance, firing low at the five-hole to beat Sullivan.
“Wrapping it up in a spirited, penalty-filled final frame, the Cubs’ Spencer Horgan went coast-to-coast on a splendid individual rush in the late going that saw him skate around multiple Blind River players before pumping a shot into the right corner at 17:23, on a man advantage, to round out the scoring.”
That goal put a capper on the match, which ended 6-1 for Greater Sudbury.
The win improves the Cubs’ record to 9-5-1-0, while Blind River falls to 4-8-0-2. The Cubs currently sit fourth in the NOJHL.