Timmins Rock forward Nolan Masson attempts to knock the puck down while being marked by Greater Sudbury Cubs forward Nolan Newton during Thursday night’s NOJHL contest at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex. Newton had a goal and two assists to help lead the Cubs to a 9-3 win over the Rock. Photo by ROB FERA /POINTS NORTH MEDIA/FOR NOJHL NETWORK
Photos: Rob Fera – Points North Media
Six-straight goals allowed the Greater Sudbury Cubs to take command of a game they would go on to win 9-3
Thomas Perry
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
GREATER SUDBURY — Not even a quick start could prevent the Timmins Rock’s recent struggles from resulting in a predictable outcome at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex, Thursday night.
Diego Da Silva scored a power-play marker, his 27th goal of the season, just 42 seconds into the contest, but it turned out the NOJHL-leading Cubs were just toying with the Rock.
Six-straight goals allowed the Cubs to take command of a game they would go on to win 9-3.
“Things started off okay, I guess, but we didn’t play too good,” said Rock coach and general manager Brandon Perry.
The Rock had a game-plan heading into the contest, but the coaching staff will never know if it could have proven effective — given their players failed to execute it.
“We prepped a plan, not that our guys did any of it,” Perry said. “We just got outclassed. It was two totally different leagues. They play harder, they are more competitive, they hit more, they win every foot race to pucks. We just looked like children out there.”
Tyson Rismond’s second goal of the season, Nolan Newton’s power-play marker, his 37th tally of the campaign, Owen King’s 34th tally of the season and Grant Booth’s second goal of the campaign saw the Cubs take a 4-1 lead into the dressing room for the first intermission.
And the Cubs kept rolling when the puck dropped to signal the resumption of action in the middle frame.
Power-play markers from Caden Dubreuil, his 17th goal of season, and King, his second of the night and 35th of the campaign, allowed the Cubs to increase their lead to 6-1.
That signaled the end of Rock starting goalie Ayden Mullen’s night, with Virgil Sausset Plateaux coming in relief.
The Rock responded with a power-play marker of their own, Maxfeld Shin’s 10th goal of the season, to cut into that advantage before the second intermission.
And Matteo Paradiso added his 16th tally of the campaign early in the third period and it looked like the Rock crawl their way back into the hockey game.
But three-straight Cubs markers showed the home side had little desire to let that happen.
Daks Klinkhammer’s 24th goal of the season, Eidan Macartney’s 16th tally of the campaign and blue-liner Spencer Horgan’s power-play marker, his 16th goal of the season, wrapped up the scoring.
The last time the Rock tangled with the Cubs, they secured a 2-1 victory on home ice at the McIntyre Arena on Nov. 30, so even though they are trying to fight their way out of a slump, Perry had hoped he would see a similar effort Thursday night.
“It doesn’t matter who we play, I expect that kind of effort out of this team every night, but we are just not getting it for some reason,” he said. “We just haven’t been taking the game as seriously as our opponents the last month and a half.”
Perry didn’t see too many, if any, positives to build upon as the Rock get ready to host the Iroquois Falls Storm at the McIntyre Arena, on Sunday, at 1 p.m.
“Not really, it was as bad as it gets,” he said. “It wasn’t good.”
Perhaps it’s better to forget about this contest, as well as the past nine or 10 games and focus on a solid couple of days as they prepare to take on the Storm.
“That’s the mindset after every game (win, lose or draw), looking forward to what comes next, and that’s going to be our focus, but we just have some deep, deep, deep rooted issues with our hockey club that are starting to come out now,” Perry said. “I think they have been there all season, but it is not good, not good.”
As one might expect, given the score, there were no Rock players who caught their coach’s eye in a positive light, Thursday night.
“There are guys who played hard, sure, there were moments and glimpses, but I am not going to start giving guys praise from a 9-3 loss,” Perry said.
The Rock got their leading scorer, Kaeden McArthur, who had been out with a lower-body injury back Thursday night, but lost Thomas Beard to an upper-body injury in the first minute of the contest.
“He got hit on the play that resulted in their first penalty and I assume he is going to be out week-to-week,” Perry said.
Beard is one of the Rock’s most effective penalty killers and his absence was felt, as they gave up four power-play markers on five shorthanded situations.
“It (the penalty kill) wasn’t good,” Perry said. “I don’t even know why I do video for these guys. I tell them exactly what to do and then they just do whatever they want out there and the puck ends up in the back of our net in two seconds. Our details are just non-existent. We just can’t mentally focus on what we are doing and that’s the result you get.”
Cubs goalie Iain Wintle turned aside 22 of the 25 shots the Rock directed his way to earn his eighth win of the season.
Mullen, who stopped 17 of the 23 shots he faced in his 27:27 of work, was tagged with the loss. Sausset Plateaux blocked eight of the 11 shots directed his way in his 32:33 of relief.
NOJHL NOTES — The three stars of the game were Cubs forward Mason Walker (six assists), King (two goals, two assists) and Newton (one goal, two assists) … The Rock went 2-8 on the power play, while the Cubs were 4-5 with the man advantage … Official attendance at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex 587 … The Rock will return to action on Sunday when they host the Iroquois Falls Storm at the McIntyre Arena, at 1 p.m.
