Timmins Rock forward Nicholas Frederick celebrates his second-period goal during his squad’s 8-2 NOJHL season opening victory over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners at the McIntyre Arena Friday night. The two sides will play the second half of their home-and-home series at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex on Saturday, at 7 p.m. THOMAS PERRY/THE DAILY PRESS
Captain Nicolas Pigeon scored a pair of goals and set up three others to ignite the Timmins Rock offence in an 8-2 win over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners in the NOJHL regular season opener for both squads at the McIntyre Arena Friday night.
Thomas Perry
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
Despite that stellar performance, however, his dad, Eric’s night might have been even better — watching his son pick up five points in his first home game as captain and winning the 50/50 draw.
“I think he should share it with the boys here,” Pigeon said, after learning of his father’s good fortune.
The line of Pigeon, Brady Harroun (two goals, three assists) and Nolan Ring (one goal, one assist) accounted for five of the Rock’s eight goals and the trio accumulated 12 points between them.
“Our entire line was buzzing,” Pigeon said.
It was actually the Gold Miners who hit the scoreboard first Friday night, as Christian Genova beat Rock goalie Patrick Boivin just 1:20 into the opening frame.
Harroun got the Rock back on even terms just over six minutes later, however, and the home side never looked back.
Pigeon then provided the Rock with a lead they would not surrender when he found the back of the net with 1:09 remaining in the opening frame.
The captain agreed the team started to play with more confidence after they were able to get back on even terms and then take the lead.
“It was the first regular season game, so we had to get the execution going,” Pigeon said.
“After we got the momentum and got our legs under us, that’s when things really clicked.”
A pair of goals 10 seconds apart early in the second period allowed the Rock to pull away from the Gold Miners.
Nicholas Frederick scored a power-play marker, a tally that would prove to be the game-winning goal, at the 3:59 mark and Nolan Ring added a goal to put the Rock in front 4-1.
Pigeon’s second goal of the night and season, a power-play marker, 2:46 into the third period extended the Rock advantage to 5-1.
Later in the frame, Pigeon had an excellent chance to net a third goal as he broke in all alone on a shorthanded play, but he seemed to lose control of the puck at the end of the play.
“I thought I had the goalie, but I think I celebrated too early,” he said.
Ethan Pool added his first goal of the season six-and-a-half minutes later to put the home side up by five goals.
John Paul Scaringi’s first goal of the season just under four minutes later helped the Gold Miners cut their deficit to 6-2.
The Rock struck for a pair of goals in the game’s final four minutes to make the final 8-2 in favour of the home side.
Daniel Beaupre netted the first of those tallies, while Harroun followed with an unassisted marker, his second goal of the game and season.
Playing in front of a supportive home crowd, while wearing the captain’s C for the first time in a regular season game, was special for Pigeon.
“It’s an honour, lots of guys in the room deserve it.”
The Rock will be looking to sweep their home-and-home series against the Gold Miners when the puck drops at the Joe Mavrinac Community Centre in Kirkland Lake on Saturday, at 7 p.m.
“We just have to keep doing what we were doing tonight,” Pigeon said.
“Our forecheck was hard today, especially with the fourth line. They were just buzzing and giving us momentum.
“That really pumped us up and every other line hard to match their level.”
Pigeon feels there is no big secret to the Rock’s success on the ice.
“There is no group that works harder than we do off the ice, in the gym,” he said.
“Every day we are in the gym and we run so much.”
Boivin turned aside 15 of the 17 shots he faced to earn his first victory in a Rock uniform.
Gold Miners goalie Braydon Garnhart, who stopped 32 of the 40 shots the Rock directed his way, was tagged with the loss.
NOJHL NOTES — The Daily Press three stars of the game were Pigeon, Harroun and Rock blue-liner Kenyon Nyman (two assists) … The Rock went 2-6 on the power play, while the Gold Miners were 0-1 with the man advantage … Official attendance at the McIntyre Arena was 657 … Friday’s other action saw the Cubs edge the Hearst Lumberjacks 5-4 in Greater Sudbury, the Paper Kings dump the Cochrane Crunch 7-3 in Espanola, the Soo Eagles fly past the Thunderbirds 4-1 in Sault Ste. Marie and the Blind River Beavers triple the Red Wings 6-2 in Elliot Lake … The next home game for the Rock will be on Tuesday, when they host the Lumberjacks at the McIntyre Arena, at 7 p.m.
