HEARST, Ont. – Bradley Golant’s second goal of the game with 13.8 seconds left in double overtime, was the game-winner as the Hearst Lumberjacks prevailed with 5-4 triumph over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners in a back and forth Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League affair Friday at Claude Larose Arena.
Hearst started strong in this one grabbing a 2-0 lead after one period of play on tallies from Golant and Samuel Bourdages.
Kirkland Lake came back quickly to begin the middle stanza notching early markers before the frame was four minutes old by Adam Kusior, with his first in the NOJHL, and Marshal Nikitin while on the power play.
Trading chances continued from there as the Lumberjacks’ Colin Boudreau connected in rapid succession to put the home side back up by two.
However, Nikitin notched his second man advantage marker of the stanza at 12:52 while teammate Declan Carter tied it at 4-4 before the period was complete.
The two sides tightened from there going scoreless through the third, the first OT and late into the second extra session before Golant was the hero for Hearst to end it.
Alec Johnson and Max Griffioen chipped in with two assists apiece for the Lumberjacks while Tyler Fyfe and Vito Sica had a couple helpers each Kirkland Lake.
Jean-Marc Brisson started for Hearst and allowed the four against on 18 shots before Nicholas Dube entered in relief late in the second and went on to earn the win handling all 10 chances he saw.
Ryan Winter helped his side earn a point on the night in OT defeat by stopping 39 of 44 overall.
Photo courtesy of Journal Le Nord