Photos: Caleigh Fera – Points North Media
SUDBURY, Ont. – The Greater Sudbury Cubs built up a three-goal lead well into the third period, then had to withstand a late push by the Hearst Lumberjacks, before eventually prevailing with a narrow 4-3 victory in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League match-up Thursday at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
Having not tasted defeat since back on November 7, in a setback against the same Lumberjacks, the Cubs have now won 18 games in a row.
Scoring first, Henry Ouellet put Hearst on the board during an extended power play, at 14:34 of the opening frame, as he took an Aiden Kalin back pass and while driving to the net was allowed to skate in untouched and slide in a backhand past a sprawled Greater Sudbury goaltender, Karsen Chartier.
The Cubs came right back to knot the affair though, with a shorthanded marker off the stick of Ben Harris, as he finished off a give-and-go with teammate Nolan Newton, after a Lumberjacks’ player fell trying to control a bouncing pick.
With the assist, Newton now has points in each of his past 19 regular season games, dating back to last season.
Taking the lead early in the second stanza, Lucas Signoretti made a crisp feed up-ice that generated a two-man break that resulted in Samuel Assinewai taking a set-up from Harris and whipping a shot upstairs on Hearst netminder Alexandre Boivin.
That saw him extend a lengthy point streak to 19 in succession.
With the helper, Signoretti has now etched his name on the game sheet at least once in his past 14 outings.
Going up by a pair, Assinewai swiped the puck off a Lumberjacks’ player, then quickly moved in and made a couple of crafty dekes before depositing his second of the evening on Boivin.
Moving to the final frame, the Cubs extended their cushion, via the man advantage, when Signoretti hammered in his NOJHL-leading 37th goal after being teed-up by Assinewai while stationed on the right side.
Getting one back midway through the stanza, Hearst’s Chase Thompson pushed a play ahead off a draw and worked it in front where a waiting DonHeaven Veillieux steered in his 15th of the campaign.
The visitors then pulled to within one at 14:09 as Tyler Patterson made a nice inside move on a defender then wired a wrister from between the circles to make it a one-goal game.
Getting their goalkeeper out for an extra attacker in the late going, the guests pushed to tie it and send it to overtime, however the hosts held firm to continue their winning ways.
Both clubs are back at it Friday, on the road, as Greater Sudbury visits Powassan and Hearst travels to Espanola.
