Blind River Beavers netminder Connor Dunham-Fox reaches out with his goal stick to knock the puck away from Timmins Rock blue-liner Braedyn Cyr during Sunday afternoon’s NOJHL contest at the Blind River Community Centre. The Rock defeated the Beavers 5-4 in overtime to earn four of a possible six points from their weekend road trip. Photo by HÉLÈNE RANCOURT /NOJHL NETWORK
Da Silva’s first career NOJHL hat-trick helped lift the Timmins Rock to a 4-3 win over the Soo Eagles at Pullar Stadium, Saturday night
Thomas Perry
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
BLIND RIVER — Matthew Kim’s second goal of the game, three minutes into overtime, lifted the Timmins Rock to a 5-4 win over the Beavers at the Community Centre, Sunday afternoon.
It allowed the Rock to conclude their three-game weekend road trip with four or a possible six points, although coach and general manager Brandon Perry was not totally happy with what he saw during the contest.
“We’ll take it, we’ll take it, for sure, but I didn’t think we were that great today,” he said, following Sunday afternoon’s victory.
“I don’t think being tired is an excuse. There are probably four guys on the team who have a right to complain about being tired, our four D (blue-liners) because that’s all we had the last two games and five D Friday night. So, those guys are pretty tired back there.”
In addition to Kim, the Rock blue-line Sunday afternoon featured Jack Quevillon, Braedyn Cyr and William Lobanov.
“We just didn’t have much urgency in our game,” Perry said. “We got a couple of quick ones and then they kind of took it to us and we took way too many penalties. It was just a special teams’ battle the whole game. When we weren’t killing penalties, we were on the power play. There wasn’t a lot of five-on-five (action) the second and third periods.”
Indeed, six of the game’s nine combined goals being scored while one team or the other enjoyed the man advantage.
“We found a way to get it done and that’s the sign of a good team,” Perry said. “So, I was obviously happy with the result. The guys stuck with it and found a way, but it certainly wasn’t our best (effort).”
In addition to scoring the game-winning goal in overtime, Kim also netted the contest’s first marker, 1:29 into the opening period.
“I don’t think that kid gets tired,” Perry said. “He is the ultimate pro. He takes care of his body. He trains the right way. He eats the right way.
“He probably plays 30 minutes a game and yet he still had enough energy to play three-on-three in OT.”
After Kim’s opening goal, Diego Da Silva doubled the Rock advantage when he scored the first of his two goals on the afternoon and fourth of the season, a power-play marker.
“He is such a good player, when he is not in the penalty box,” Perry said, of the forward who missed the first three games of the regular season while serving a suspension he picked up in exhibition action.
“He can do so much for us.”
Caleb Walker’s second goal of the season, also a power-play tally, got the Beavers on the scoreboard 10 minutes later.
And Austin Schultz’s first goal of the season, 49 seconds later, tied things up at 2-2 heading into the first intermission.
The Beavers then made it three-straight tallies, as Levi Lux struck for a power-play marker, his first goal of the season, eight-and-a-half minutes into the middle frame.
Thomas Beard’s power-play marker, his third goal of the season, pulled the Rock back to even shortly after the midway point of the third period.
But Jonah McIndoo’s power-play marker, his fourth goal of the season, put the Beavers back in front, 4-3, with just under seven minutes remaining in regulation.
That tally came less than a minute after Rock forward Mavrick Boucher was assessed a five-minute major penalty for attempt to injure and a game misconduct.
With more than four minutes remaining in their power play, Blind River had an excellent opportunity to put the game out of reach.
Da Silva had other ideas, however, and he proceeded to score his second goal of the game and fifth of the season, a shorthanded marker, to set the stage for Kim’s game winning heroics.
“It is kind of funny because I had him and Brant (Romaniuk) going on the (penalty) kill and I heard Diego say to him, ‘We need to get one, eh!’ As a coach, I am like, no, you don’t. Kill the penalty off and we will tie it up when we get the goalie out, but they got it done.
“Good for them. Diego has been playing good hockey and he has a knack for scoring goals. We just need him to be on the ice more.”
The Rock coach was impressed with the play of his goaltender on Sunday afternoon and the team’s top players, as well.
“Cous (Frédéric Cousineau) was really good between the pipes (goal posts), especially in the third period, during the five-minute (penalty) kill,” Perry said. “He gave us a chance to win this one.
“Our top guys were playing most of the night and I thought they did a good job, our Top 6 forwards and obviously our four D.”
Cousineau stopped 41 of the 45 shots he faced to earn his third win of the season.
Beavers goalie Connor Dunham-Fox, who turned aside 29 of the 34 shots the Rock directed his way, was tagged with the loss.
ROCK 4 EAGLES 3
Da Silva’s first career NOJHL hat-trick helped lift the Rock to a 4-3 win over the Eagles at Pullar Stadium, Saturday night.
“Last night was a really good hockey game,” Perry said. “It was fast, it was physical and it was back and fourth, kind of what you would expect against the Soo Eagles. The guys found a way to get it done and (Rock goalie) Ayden Mullen was absolutely fantastic.
“It is incredible. Every time he plays, I just think I can’t believe this kid is only 16 years old. He has so much poise.”
Following a scoreless opening 20 minutes of action, Da Silva’s power-play marker, his first goal of the season, staked the Rock to a 1-0 lead 7:58 into the middle frame.
But Logan Stawizynski replied with a power-play tally of his own, his second goal of the season, to tie things up just over a minute later.
Da Silva’s second power-play marker, and his second goal of the campaign, then restored the Rock lead.
Once again, the Eagles answered that tally just under two minutes later to tie things up at 2-2 heading into the third period.
Da Silva completed his hat-trick by netting his third goal of the season 1:23 into the third period.
Blue-liner Jack Quevillon then put the Rock up 4-2 when he scored what would eventually prove to be the game-winning goal, 19 seconds later.
Trailing by two goals, the Eagles pulled goalie Jace Knoerle in favour of an extra attacker.
The move paid off, partially, as Anden Marceau — who scored four goals in the Eagles’ 8-5 loss to the Rock in Timmins on Sept. 21 — scored his eighth goal of the season.
That would be as close as the Eagles would come to getting back on even terms, however, leaving the final score 4-3 in favour of the Rock.
Mullen stopped 46 of the 49 shots he faced to pick up his first career NOJHL victory.
Knoerle, who turned aside 48 of the 52 shots the Rock directed his way, was tagged with the loss.
The Rock coach felt his team’s slow start proved to be costly during their 3-1 loss to the Thunderbirds in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Friday night.
“We weren’t great to start out,” Perry said. “The second and third periods, I thought we played with a little bit more urgency.’
With a week to get ready for their game against the Lumberjacks in Hearst on Friday, the Rock will assess the state of a couple of players who went down with injury during the three-game road trip.
“We lost (blue-liner) Ben Climenhaga in the first game with an upper-body injury,” Perry said. “We are hoping he is day-to-day, but he was pretty stiff.
“And we lost (forward) Kaeden McArthur with a lower-body injury. He is going to get it looked at when we get back home.”
In addition, the coach conceded Boucher could be looking at a “long suspension” after he was ejected from Sunday afternoon’s contest.
As of Sunday evening, nothing was listed on the NOJHL’s discipline page on its website.
NOJHL NOTES — The three stars of Sunday afternoon’s victory were Kim, Da Silva and Beavers forward Ethan McLean (two assists). Da Silva, Rock forward Lucas Lowe (two assists) and Knoerle were chosen Saturday night … The Rock went 2-6 on the power play Sunday and scored a shorthanded goal, while the Beavers were 3-9 with the man advantage. Saturday night, the Rock went 2-4 on the power play, while the Eagles were 2-5 with the man advantage … Official attendance at the Blind River Community Centre on Sunday was 205, while 579 fans watched Saturday night’s contest at Pullar Stadium … Sunday’s other action saw the Hearst Lumberjacks double up the Thunderbirds 6-3 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and the Paper Kings edge the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 5-4 in overtime in Espanola … The Rock will return to action on Friday when they take on the Lumberjacks at the Claude Larose Recreation Centre in Hearst, at 7 p.m.
