TIMMINS, Ont. – Riding a three-point night from Maxx Hamelin, the Timmins Rock eventually held off a late push by the Soo Thunderbirds before winning 5-2 Tuesday in the seventh and deciding game of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League quarter-final in front of 1,011 fans at McIntyre Arena.
The Rock now advance to take on the Hearst Lumberjacks in a best-of-seven semifinal, which will get underway later in the week.
After stymieing Sault Ste. Marie on the night’s initial power play opportunity, Timmins came back to take the lead eight and a half minutes into the contest when Matthew Kim cranked in a blast from the point that flew past a screened Thunderbirds’ netminder Nathan Maguire after being teed up by Hamelin from down low.
The Rock then made it 2-0 when Lucas Lowe scooped up a rebound off a Hamelin attempt, then from a sharp angle sent a rising wrist shot to the target that clipped off Maguire and bounced in.
In the second stanza, the home side extended their cushion on a man advantage as Kaeden McArthur collected a loose puck off a Hamelin attempt from up top and moved to his left before lifting in his fifth of the playoffs.
Up a skater once more, Timmins defenceman Braedyn Cyr jumped into the play near the top of the crease and managed to chip in a backhand with bodies piled up in front to make it 4-0 after 40 minutes.
The T-Birds eventually solved Cousineau in the third, on a six-on-three, that included Maguire out for an extra attacker, as James Legler pumped one through traffic, from distance, with 8:10 to go.
Striking again less than a minute later, while still on the power play, Aiden Atkinson sent one through a maze from a similar spot to make it 4-2 as he collected at least one point in all seven games of the series.
Getting their netminder out again late, the Thunderbirds looked to inch closer, but Rock’s Nolan Masson iced it with an empty netter in the final minute to close it out.
No. 4 Timmins Rock vs. No. 5 Soo Thunderbirds
Game 1: Thunderbirds 4, Rock 3 (OT)
Game 2: Rock 6, Thunderbirds 1
Game 3: Thunderbirds 3, Rock 2
Game 4: Rock 3, Thunderbirds 2 (2OT)
Game 5: Rock 7, Thunderbirds 1
Game 6: Thunderbirds 4, Rock 1
Game 7: Rock 5, Thunderbirds 2
Timmins wins best-of-seven series 4-3
Game Photos:
Thomas Perry – The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
