GALLERY: Beavers knock off Rock, delay quest to secure top spot

Blind River Beavers, from left, Joshua Thompson, Nicholas Brady and Michael Gallagher celebrate Brady’s first-period goal during Friday night’s NOJHL contest against the Timmins Rock at the McIntyre Arena. The goal gave the Beavers a 5-0 lead in a game they would go on to win 7-3. THOMAS PERRY/THE DAILY PRESS

The Timmins Rock will have one more opportunity to seize top spot in the NOJHL’s overall standings on Sunday afternoon, after a lackluster effort Friday night at the McIntyre Arena saw them drop a 7-3 decision to the Blind River Beavers.


Thomas Perry
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network


TIMMINS – The Timmins Rock will have one more opportunity to seize top spot in the NOJHL’s overall standings on Sunday afternoon, after a lackluster effort Friday night at the McIntyre Arena saw them drop a 7-3 decision to the Blind River Beavers.

Meanwhile, the West Division-leading Greater Sudbury Cubs secured a 3-2 victory over the Voodoos in Powassan to leapfrog the Rock in the overall standings.

It was the final regular season game for the Cubs, while the Rock will have a chance to take back top spot when they close out their regular-season schedule against the Soo Thunderbirds at the McIntyre Arena on Sunday, at 1 p.m.

Outscored 5-0 during the opening period Friday night, the Rock offered little support for starting goalie Patrick Boivin — and on St. Patrick’s Day, no less.

A pair of power-play markers seven minutes apart allowed the Beavers to jump in front 2-0.

Andrey Manov got the puck rolling when he scored his 10th goal of the season at the 4:46 mark and Joshua Thompson added the first of his two tallies on the night and 20th of the campaign.

Then, just seven seconds later, Josh Tomasi netted his ninth goal of the season.

Evan Fraccaro followed with his 21st goal of the season with 2:29 remaining in the frame and Nicholas Brady then added his eighth goal of the campaign just over a minute later.

Rock coach Brandon Perry opted to pull Boivin to start the second period, with Jacob Brown coming on in relief.

It didn’t seem to make much difference, however, as Thompson greeted the new goalie with a shorthanded marker, his second goal of the night and 21st of the season just past the midway point in the frame.

The Rock finally got on the scoreboard four minutes later, with Brady Harroun netting a power-play marker, his 48th tally of the season.

Just over a minute later, Nolan Ring converted a solo rush down the ice with a Blind River defender draped all over him for his 26th goal of the season.

Any momentum those two tallies might have given the Rock was negated when Michael Gallagher scored the Beavers’ second shorthanded marker of the contest, his 23rd goal of the campaign, with just 30 seconds remaining on the clock.

Trailing 7-2 heading into the third period, the Rock were able to close the gap slightly when Harroun scored his second goal of the night and 49th of the season.

That would be as close as they would come to getting back on even terms, however.

Gavin Disano, who turned aside 21 of the 24 shots the Rock directed his way, earned his 23rd win of the season.

Boivin, who stopped seven of the 12 shots he faced in his 20 minutes of work, was tagged with the loss. Brown blocked five of the seven shots he faced in his 40 minutes of relief.

NOJHL NOTES — The Daily Press three stars of the game were Thompson, Harroun and Gallagher … The Rock went 1-4 on the power play, but surrendered two shorthanded goals, while the Beavers were 2-3 with the man advantage … Official attendance at the McIntyre Arena was 610 … Friday’s other action saw the Eagles triple the Elliot Lake Red Wings 6-2 in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., while the game between the Soo Thunderbirds and the Gold Miners in Kirkland Lake was postponed because of weather conditions … The Rock will host the Thunderbirds at the McIntyre Arena on Sunday, at 1 p.m.