ESPANOLA, Ont. – Getting three goals on the power play helped propel the Hearst Lumberjacks to a narrow 5-4 win over the Espanola Paper Kings Sunday afternoon in a feisty Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League get together at the Regional Recreation Complex.
Hearst clicked on a man advantage, seven minutes into the match-up, to take an early lead as Adam Shillinglaw kept a play in the Espanola end and put a centring pass on the tape of Aiden Kalin, who ripped it by Paper Kings’ starter James Meredith.
The Lumberjacks then went up by a pair with an even-strength marker midway through the first period.
On the tally, Mathieu Comeau spun along the side boards and hit Shillinglaw driving down the slot where he pumped one past the goalkeeper’s glove.
Getting one back while skating four-on-three, Liam Rampersad found Jack Anderson between the circles where he pulled up and sizzled a wrister into the left corner on Owen Bonthius in the Hearst net.
Picking up another extra-man marker, Hearst worked a play around nicely with Tyler Patterson eventually stuffing one through the legs of Meredith from in close.
Countering, the Paper Kings got that back just over a minute later when Jackson Drigo was sent in alone on a breakaway by Rampersad and with one hand on his stick, chipped the puck by Bonthuis.
Espanola then tied it at 12:36 when Carter Drigo neatly deflected an Anderson attempt from up high for his first NOJHL tally.
Taking the lead on a five-on-three, the Paper Kings worked a play down-low, which led to Anderson slamming in a rebound off an Aiden Pethick chance from the slot.
Some big stops by Meredith and Bonthius kept it 4-3 into the back half of the third.
After denying a couple of in-close chances, the Lumberjacks countered quickly in transition, went down the ice and saw Bronson Babyak jam in the equalizer off a pass across from Damien Bourdon-Lemoyne at 13:22.
Hearst then went in front a minute and a half later, with their league-leading sixth power play goal overall, as Bourdon-Lemoyne had a number of cracks in close off a Comeau attempt before eventually shovelling in the eventual game-winner.
Espanola got their goalie out late to try and tie it, however the visitors held on to secure the road victory in the NOJHL debut for Bonthius.
Next up for Hearst is their home opener Friday against Greater Sudbury while the Paper Kings will visit French River Saturday.
