TIMMINS, Ont. – Riding three-goal second and third period outbursts, the Timmins Rock went on to dump the Soo Thunderbirds 7-1 Friday in Game 5 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League quarter-final at McIntyre Arena.
With the result, Timmins now leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 heading into Game 6 Sunday evening at John Rhodes Community Centre in Sault Ste. Marie at 7 p.m., and on FLOHockey.tv.
An evenly played first frame was scoreless until the latter stages of the session, where the Rock clicked on the power play and saw a diving Kaeden McArthur poke in his fourth of the playoffs on Thunderbirds starter Nathan Maguire.
After withstanding a pair of early Sault Ste. Marie man advantage opportunities in the second stanza, Timmins’ Victor Hourtouat muscled his way out from the side boards in the Soo zone and wired a shot over the glove of Maguire at 6:31.
Some extended pressure while up a skater themselves, saw Thomas Beard steer in a Maxx Hamelin attempt to the target that put the home side up by three.
That tally resulted in a goaltending change for the T-Birds as back-up Ryan Hicks entered in relief.
However, the Rock greeted him with a fourth in the match-up, less than a minute later, as Ryan Armitage snapped one in from the right circle.
The visitors eventually solved goalkeeper Frédéric Cousineau prior to the intermission, via the power play, when Aiden Atkinson was teed up by Declan Gallivan and quickly ripped a rising blast into the net.
Timmins withstood a two-man disadvantage to begin the final frame, then went up 5-1 as Hamelin knocked in a loose puck laying in the crease with help from Lucas Lowe and Nolan Masson.
Hamelin then extended the cushion by wiring in his second in short order, off a face-off.
They then capped off the victory while up a couple of skaters late, thanks to defenceman Braedyn Cyr.
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: Sunday, March 29 @ Soo 7 p.m. (John Rhodes Community Centre)
Game 7*: Tuesday, March 31 @ Timmins 7 p.m. (McIntyre Arena)
*-if necessary
Timmins leads best-of-seven series 3-2
Game Photos:
Thomas Perry – The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
