Photos: Gary Rosevear
HEARST, Ont. – A Kaeden McArthur power play goal with 1:44 remaining in overtime helped the Timmins Rock survive a late Hearst Lumberjacks comeback bid to win their 21st Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League game in a row, as part of a thrilling 5-4 victory Sunday in a hard-fought contest held at Claude Larose Recreation Centre.
Timmins opened the scoring 15 minutes into the proceedings when Lucas Lowe left a drop pass for Edan Etheridge on the left side, who went in and wired a shot from the circle that flew over the shoulder of Hearst goalkeeper Jack Helkie.
Matching that, the Lumberjacks’ Ty McKay generated a turnover in the Rock zone, then moved the puck to Cameron Menard and saw him wheel into the slot where he ripped a shot past netminder Ayden Mullen for his NOJHL-leading 32nd goal of the season.
The home side then had a chance to take the lead deep into the first period as McKay went in alone on a shorthanded breakaway, but Mullen outwaited him and made a solid top with his pad just prior to the intermission.
In the middle stanza, Timmins retook the lead at 11:22 when Thomas Beard took a crisp cross-ice pass from Nolan Masson and promptly sent a sizzler by Helkie.
With the tally, Beard has now etched his name on the game sheet in 13 consecutive outings.
After having a 20-game point streak snapped Saturday, Hearst captain Mathieu Comeau began a new one with an equalizer early in the third as he cranked in a one-timer from a sharp angle off a feed from Menard.
Up a skater, the visitors answered once again as a falling Matthew Kim converted from between the circles.
They then took a 4-2 cushion when Kim snapped in a shot from distance off a draw won back to him by Lowe.
Rallying, Hearst connected twice in the late going to force extra time.
Julien Trudel was left with a tap-in on a two-on-one with Hugo Allard at the 16-minute mark before Comeau potted his second of the session at 17:42, as he wired one in from the top of the left circle through a screen, with Helkie out for an extra attacker to help send it to OT.
In the extra session, McArthur won it via the man advantage as he took a pass from Brady Bouchard, then moved in close and snapped a shot through a screen that Helkie could only get a piece of before it trickled in for the game-winner.
In extending the Rock winning streak, the marker also saw McArthur run a point streak to seven in succession.
With the outcome, surging Timmins raised their overall record to 27-5-0-1, while a point in the setback sees Hearst go to 21-8-0-3 overall.
