GALLERY: Cadieux-Fredette helps lead Rock past Crunch

Timmins Rock forward Liam Wells attempts to gain control of a bouncing puck in front of Cochrane Crunch goalie Jake Dubinsky during the first period of Friday night’s NOJHL contest at the Tim Horton Event Centre. While Wells was foiled on this play, he did score his 13th goal of the season in the second period to help the Rock defeat the Crunch 4-1 and complete a sweep of their home-and-home series. THOMAS PERRY/THE DAILY PRESS

Felix Cadieux-Fredette scored a goal and added an assist to help lead the Timmins Rock to a 4-1 win over the Crunch at the Tim Horton Event Centre Friday night.


Thomas Perry
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network


COCHRANE — Felix Cadieux-Fredette scored a goal and added an assist to help lead the Timmins Rock to a 4-1 win over the Crunch at the Tim Horton Event Centre Friday night.

The victory allowed the Rock, who blanked the Crunch 9-0 at the McIntyre Arena Tuesday night, to complete a sweep of their home-and-home series.

Cadieux-Fredette gave the Rock a 1-0 lead in Friday night’s contest when he netted his sixth goal of the season shortly after the midway point in the opening period.

Known mainly as a defensive defenceman during his first two years with the Rock, Cadieux-Fredette’s offensive game has blossomed this season.

In 64 games prior to this season, the Ottawa product had scored just one goal and collected 22 assists, good for 23 points.

“The trust I have been getting from the coaches has really helped and I have been getting more ice time,” he said.

“I have been taking more shots and this past summer I worked hard on my offensive game and I think I have been getting rewarded for it.”

Cadieux-Fredette’s contributions on the defensive side of the puck can’t be overlooked, either, as he was out on the ice in a shutdown capacity late in Friday night’s contest.

“They were both important moments in the game,” he said.

“I like being able to contribute offensively and defensively, as long as I am on the ice I will be competing.”

The way Rock goalie Patrick Boivin has been playing this season, it looked for a while like Cadieux-Fredette’s first-period goal might stand up to be the game-winner.

“Our goalies have been playing really good recently and they haven’t let in too many goals,” he said.

“So, for sure, it could have been the game-winner but we have got a lot of people who can put the puck in the net.”

Even though the Rock beat the Crunch 9-0 in Timmins Tuesday night, Cadieux-Fredette wasn’t surprised they gave his squad a much tougher battle on home ice Friday night.

“After that game, we knew they were going to come at us hard,” he said.

“There is not a team in this league that likes losing 9-0, so we are happy we were able to get the two points.”

Kaeden McArthur’s power-play marker, his eighth goal of the season, with 1:40 remaining in the first period, allowed the Rock to expand their lead to 2-0.

Liam Wells’ unassisted marker, his 13th goal of the season, at the 13:11 mark of the middle frame then expanded the Rock advantage to three goals heading into the second intermission.

It appeared the Crunch had gotten on the scoreboard seven minutes into the third period, but referee Justin Punchard whistled the play dead before the puck entered the Rock net.

Ten minutes later, the Crunch were finally able to get on the scoreboard when Mathieu Roy blasted a shot past Boivin for his fourth goal of the season.

The Crunch attempted to build on the momentum from that power-play marker by pulling goalie Jake Dubinsky in favour of an extra attacker but the move backfired when Rock captain Nicolas Pigeon deposited his 11th goal of the season into the empty Cochrane net with 1:08 remaining in the contest.

Boivin stopped 20 of the 21 shots he faced to earn his 14th win of the season.

Dubinsky, who turned aside 38 of the 41 shots the Rock directed his way, was tagged with the loss.

NOJHL NOTES — The three stars of the game were Cadieux-Fredette, Wells and Dubinsky … Both the Rock and the Crunch went 1-4 on the power play … Official attendance at the Tim Horton Event Centre was 182 … Friday night’s other action saw the Red Wings triple the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 6-2 in Elliot Lake and the Thunderbirds thump the Soo Eagles 10-2 in Sault Ste. Marie, ON, while the game between the Powassan Voodoos and the Paper Kings in Espanola was postponed … The Rock will return to action on Saturday when they travel to French River for a game against the Rapids, at 7 p.m.