Timmins Rock forward Nolan Masson fires the puck into a wide-open Espanola net after taking a cross-ice pass during the first period of Tuesday night’s NOJHL contest at the McIntyre Arena. Masson’s first goal of the season gave the Rock a 1-0 lead in a game they would go on to win 6-2 — extending their winning streak to 10 games. They will look to push it to 11 games when they host the Powassan Voodoos at the McIntyre Arena, on Friday, at 7:30 p.m. Photo by THOMAS PERRY /The Daily Press
Victory elevates Timmins Rock (16-5-0-1) into a tie with Espanola (16-9-0-1) for fourth place in the NOJHL standings — and they still have four games in hand on their rivals
Thomas Perry
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
The Timmins Rock pushed their winning streak to double figures at the McIntyre Arena, Tuesday night.
And that 10th-straight victory, a 6-2 triumph over the Paper Kings, elevated the Rock (16-5-0-1) into a tie with Espanola (16-9-0-1) for fourth place in the NOJHL standings — and they still have four games in hand on their rivals.
“It was a real good effort out of our guys,” said Rock coach and general manager Brandon Perry.
“We were solid from start to finish, although I didn’t like some of our details that we had gone over before the game. We were lacking a little bit as the game went on. Our D fell asleep on their first goal, but it was a real solid effort out of all our guys.”
The Rock jumped on the Paper Kings early, as Nolan Masson netted his first goal of the season 1:30 into the contest, taking a cross-ice pass and firing the puck into the empty Espanola net with goalie Jack Helkie caught out of position.
“The play started in the D Zone and their D bobbled it and I just tapped it over to Shinner (Maxfeld Shin) and that created a two-on-one,” Masson said. “He slid the puck over to me and I had a wide-open net.”
With a goal and two assists, along with a minor penalty, Masson was clearly playing his game, Tuesday night.
“I was acquired by the Rock to play like this, and that is what I am going to do,” he said, describing the in-your-face style that got under the skin of numerous Espanola players.
Playing on a line with Shin and Kimani Eccleston, Masson looked right at home in his 12th game with the Rock.
“I had been playing with Diego Da Silva, but he is out right now (serving the second game of his five-game suspension),” he said. “Me and Eccie have already built a relationship on the ice and Shinner’s a good addition to our line.”
The Rock doubled their lead 10 minutes later when blue-liner Matthew Kim scored his sixth goal of the campaign.
Cameron Menard’s first of two goals on the night and 26th of the season got the Paper Kings on the scoreboard before the first intermission.
The second period proved to be all Rock, as they added three more goals, two of which came on the power play.
Matteo Paradiso’s fourth goal of the campaign, a man-advantage marker, got things rolling.
Brant Romaniuk followed that up with his team-leading 21st goal of the season, also a power-play marker, three minutes later.
That goal spelled an end to Helkie’s night in net, with Logan Vale coming on in relief.
Shin then added his fourth goal of the season to put the Rock in front 5-1 heading into the second intermission.
Menard’s second goal of the night and 27th of the season pulled the Paper Kings a little closer seven-and-a-half minutes into the third period.
But the Rock got that one back 44 seconds later when Eccleston netted his sixth goal of the season.
The game’s final goal might prove to be Eccleston’s last marker in a Rock uniform, as he has been recalled by the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves.
Eccleston (13, 6-6-12, 20) strong play with the Rock caught the eye of the Wolves, for whom he started the season (4, 0-0-0, 0).
“It feels really good, definitely,” he said, following the contest. “I worked a lot one-on-one with Brandon Perry. We went over video a lot, talked in practice.
“I started using my body more, getting inside more and shooting more.”
Eccleston will be looking to take the positives from his stay with the Rock into his second stint with the Wolves, who host the Barrie Colts at the Sudbury Community Arena, Friday night.
“I need to just keep doing what I have been doing here with the Rock,” he said. “Obviously, there will be some adjustments while I am up there but I will just keep sticking with what has been working.”
The Rock put the special in special teams Tuesday night, hitting at a 33 percent rate on the power play and killing off all six of the shorthanded situations they faced.
“We did a good job tonight, real good,” said Perry, who had not been happy with the penalty kill Saturday night.
“Special teams have been really good during the last month, with the run we have been on.”
There was no shortage of Rock players who impressed their coach, Tuesday night.
“(Nolan Masson) was awesome tonight, I love coaching that kid,” Perry said. “The way he plays the game puts a smile on my face. He has some high-end skill, too, to go along with all that chippiness and ratiness. We gave him a lot of minutes because we lost a lot of forwards.
“(Maxfeld Shin) is a really good player. He is getting more of an opportunity now, moving up to the second line and he did a real good job. He is so skilled and he plays the game so hard. He is smart and we love having him here.
“(Matthew Kim) has got an elite skill set. It gets him in trouble sometimes because he tries to do too much, but his feet are so good and he has this great offensive mind. He was fantastic tonight.”
It might be easier to list the Rock players who didn’t play well in the contest, but there were others who made a positive impression.
“Ashton Beriana was so good tonight,” Perry said. “Jack Quevillon was really good. Frédéric Cousineau, in our net, was good. Kimani Eccleston was great tonight.
“Our regular guys, K-Mac (Kaeden McArthur), Lowesy (Lucas Lowe), Brant (Romaniuk), keep getting it done. Zach Secord was great on the PK (penalty kill). Ben Climenhaga was great on the PK.
“I just liked everybody’s game, I really did.”
While McArthur briefly left the contest with an apparent injury, only to return to the game, Perry noted the upper-body injury suffered by Paradiso could be more serious.
“We will get him evaluated and find out for sure,” he said.
Cousineau, who stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced, earned his ninth win of the season.
Helkie, who turned aside 28 of the 32 shots the Rock directed his way in his 28:57 of action, was tagged with the loss. Vale blocked 21 of the 23 shots he faced in his 31:03 of relief.
NOJHL NOTES — The Daily Press three stars of the game were Masson (one goal, two assists), Shin (one goal, two assists) and Kim (one goal, two assists) … The Rock went 2-6 on the power play, while the Paper Kings were 0-6 with the man advantage … Official attendance at the McIntyre Arena was 730 … The Rock will return to action on Friday when the host the Powassan Voodoos at the McIntyre Arena, at 7:30 p.m.
