The Timmins Rock scored four unanswered second period goals to break open a close game and cruise to a 7-2 win over the Rapids at the Noelville Arena Saturday night.
Thomas Perry
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
FRENCH RIVER — The Timmins Rock scored four unanswered second period goals to break open a close game and cruise to a 7-2 win over the Rapids at the Noelville Arena Saturday night.
It was the seventh-straight win for the Rock who have a record of 11-0-0-1 in their past 12 games and an overall mark of 22-5-2-2 — good for top spot in the NOJHL’s overall and East Division standings.
The Rapids gave the Rock everything they could handle in the opening 20 minutes of action Saturday night.
Lucas Lowe gave the Rock a 1-0 lead 7:31 into the contest when he scored his sixth goal of the season and fifth in the past five games.
The Rapids got back on even terms less than a minute and a half later, however, as Matthew Campanella scored the first of his two goals on the night and fourth of the season.
Affiliate player Kristopher Beauchamp, called up from the GNU18L’s Kapuskasing Flyers, then scored the first goal of his NOJHL career, putting the Rock up 2-1.
But once again the Rapids battled back to tie things up, with Campanella netting a power-play marker, his second goal of the game and fifth of the season 46 seconds later.
Rock coach and general manager Brandon Perry was not happy with what he saw from his squad during the first period.
“You can imagine the mood I was in after the first 20 (minutes),” he said.
So, was it a case of bus legs, or simply a matter of overconfidence?
“It was overconfidence, I don’t really believe in the bus legs stuff,” Perry said.
“They just thought it was going to be an easy night and we weren’t sharp, we weren’t competing, we weren’t executing and that’s what happens.”
The Rock roared to life in the second period, outshooting the Rapids 16-6 and outscoring them 4-0 to take command of the contest.
Blue-liner Kenyon Nyman’s power-play marker, his 10th goal of the season, put the Rock in front 3-2 and stood up to be the game-winning tally.
Fellow blue-liner Felix Cadieux-Fredette followed with his seventh goal of the season 20 seconds later.
And Brady Harroun added his NOJHL-leading 22nd goal of the season just past the midway mark in the frame.
Hayden Rynard rounded out the offensive outburst when he notched the first goal of his NOJHL career with less than five minutes remaining in the period.
“Our execution was better, not good, and we got a good response out of our group after we challenged them,” Perry said.
“We played a solid final 40 minutes and got another two points.”
Evan Grigor’s fourth goal of the season 2:54 into the third period closed out the scoring, leaving the final 7-2 in favour of the Rock.
The Rapids were only able to dress 14 skaters and two goalies for Saturday night’s contest due to a number of suspensions and injuries.
There was no shortage of Rock players who impressed their coach — in the game’s final 40 minutes — Saturday night.
“I thought the Lowe line, with Grigor and (Nicholas) Moore played well,” Perry said.
“I thought our top-end guys (Nicolas Pigeon, Harroun, Lucas Piekarczyk and Nicholas Frederick), in the second and third, did a fantastic job and Kenyon got one on the power play and (Rock goalie Jacob) Brown was solid in net.
“Kaeden McArthur had some really good shifts for us and made some good plays defensively.
“The second and third periods, I thought everybody played well.”
The coach was also happy to see Rynard get his first NOJHL goal, although offence is not the forward’s primary role on the squad.
“He was pretty excited, but like I mentioned the last time we talked about him, he is a kid who does things right and shows up every day to work.”
Beauchamp also turned in a solid effort in his first NOJHL contest.
“He played a really good game,” Perry said.
Rynard, who also had an assist in the contest, was relieved to get his first NOJHL goal.
“Nicholas Frederick kicked the puck out on a break to Kaeden McArthur, I came across the middle and he saw me open, slid it to me right in the slot and I shot the puck far glove side,” he said.
While the Courtice, ON, product has his first NOJHL goal, don’t expect him to start filling the net with pucks.
“I am pretty comfortable with my role,” Rynard said.
“Offence isn’t my first go to, as I am more of a defence and PK (penalty kill) kind of guy.
“When an opportunity comes, I will put the puck in the net
The forward saw a big difference from his team once the second period got underway Saturday night.
“Honestly, I think our intensity and effort was much better,” Rynard said.
“In the first period, we didn’t have enough, but when we came out in the second, we changed the flow of the game.”
Rock forward Liam Wells was ejected from Saturday night’s contest in the second period, after he received a two-minute minor penalty for head contact, a 10-minute misconduct and a game misconduct.
Brown stopped 23 of the 25 shots he faced to earn his eighth win of the season for the Rock.
Ben Gustafson, who turned aside 22 of the 28 shots the Rock directed his way during the first two periods, was tagged with the loss. Brady Dyer blocked 16 of the 17 shots he faced in relief during the third period.
NOJHL NOTES — The three stars of the game were Grigor, Campanella and Rynard … The Rock went 1-2 on the power play, while the Rapids were 1-3 with the man advantage … Official attendance at the Noelville Arena was 90 … Saturday’s other action saw the Beavers top the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 5-2 in Blind River and the Soo Eagles take a pair of games from the Red Wings, 6-5 in the completion of a suspended contest and 2-1, in Elliot Lake … The Rock will return to action on Friday when they take on the Gold Miners at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex in Kirkland Lake. The next home game will be on Tuesday, Dec. 13, when they host the Gold Miners at the McIntyre Arena, at 7 p.m.
