Photos: Powassan Voodoos
Brady Harroun scored a pair of power-play goals to help lead the Timmins Rock to a 5-3 win over the Voodoos at the Sportsplex Friday night.
Thomas Perry
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
The victory snapped a three-game winless streak for the Rock (5-2-0-1) and moved them back into top spot in the East Division standings, one point up on the Hearst Lumberjacks (5-2-0-0) and the Voodoos (5-3-0-0).
Rock coach and general manager Brandon Perry had been left searching for answers following a pair of setbacks last weekend but Friday’s result suggests he just might have found a few.
“It was a good, hard road win,” he said.
“We just played our game. We were really fast on the forecheck and our power play did a good job, capitalizing on some chances.
“We gave up a couple on the kill we would like to have back but they are a team that kind of sits back and waits in the weeds.
“They are never out of it. They play this one-one-three type style hockey and just wait for you to make mistakes.
“They capitalize on them, which is what they did, but we were able to hold them off and get the win.
“It was a big one for us.”
Justin Charette’s second goal of the season, with 2:40 remaining in the opening period, provided the Rock with a 1-0 lead Friday night.
The Rock expanded their advantage to 2-0 31 seconds into the middle frame, with Nicholas Frederick scoring a power-play marker, his seventh goal of the season, a tally originally credited to Harroun.
Just over two minutes later, the Voodoos finally got on the scoreboard, with Conor O’Brien netting his second goal of the season.
Harroun then netted his first of two goals on the night and sixth of the season, another power-play marker, to put the Rock in front 3-1.
The Voodoos were able to close the gap to a single goal before the end of the frame, however, as Sean Thies found the back of the net for his first tally of the season, also a power-play marker.
Harroun’s second goal of the night and seventh of the season, another power-play marker just over two minutes into the third period gave the Rock a 4-2 lead.
Once again, the Voodoos were able to close the gap, however, this time with O’Brien finding the back of the net for this second goal of the game and third of the season.
Nolan Ring closed out the scoring for the Rock when he deposited his second goal of the season into an empty Voodoos’ net with goalie Kannon Flageolle on the bench in favour of an extra attacker and 20 seconds remaining on the clock.
There was no shortage of Rock players who turned in a solid effort Friday night, according to their coach.
“That line of Frederick, (Lucas) Piekarczyk and Juice (Charette) was really good tonight,” Perry said.
“And then Pige (Nicolas Pigeon), Babs (Harroun) and Ringer (Ring), they seem to bring it every single night.
“I think Babs had been a little snake-bitten lately, so it was nice to see him get a couple tonight.
“He is a goal scorer and he is grumpy when he doesn’t score.
“It was a really good team effort and we got contributions from everybody.
“Our goaltender (Patrick Boivin ) played really well.
“Nic Frederick, man he is so good for our team. He is all over the ice and he always leads the way in terms of effort.
“He gets rewarded. Obviously he has the skills to score nice goals, but the pass he made on our first goal was just beautiful.
“On his goal, the one he scored at the beginning of the second period he was just standing in front of the net and taking abuse.
“Justin Charette was really good tonight, that whole line was going.
“Our back end, everybody, I thought Chase Longhurst had a really good game, made a beautiful pass on that Charette goal.
“It was just a good effort up and down the lineup. Obviously, there were some moments when there were some lapses we weren’t happy with but everybody chipped in, everybody contributed.”
Boivin stopped 20 of the 23 shots he faced to pick up his third win of the season.
Flageolle, who blocked 28 of the 32 shots the Rock directed his way, was tagged with the loss.
NOJHL NOTES — The three stars of the game were Harroun, O’Brien and Frederick … The Rock went 3-7 on the power play, while the Voodoos were 1-4 with the man advantage … Official attendance at the Powassan Sportsplex was 202 … The Rock have traded blue-liner Kyle Garland (4, 0-0-0, 0) to the QJHL’s Montreal-Est Rangers in exchange for a player development fee … The Espanola Paper Kings have traded former Rock forward Eric Barnard to the CCHL’s to Brockville Braves in exchange for a player development fee … Friday’s other action saw the Hearst Lumberjacks edge the Crunch 2-1 in Cochrane. The game between the Elliot Lake Red Wings and the Eagles in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., was postponed … The Rock will return to action during the NOJHL showcase in Sudbury, taking on the Soo Thunderbirds on Tuesday and the Soo Eagles on Wednesday. The next home game will be on Friday when the Rock will host the Cochrane Crunch at the McIntyre Arena, at 7:30 p.m.
“Highlight of the Night” – NOJHL YouTube Channel
