Photos: Helene Rancourt
BLIND RIVER, Ont. – A solid defensive effort by the Blind River Beavers saw Charlie Burns post his sixth Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League shutout of the season in backstopping his club to a narrow 2-0 triumph over the Soo Thunderbirds Friday evening at the Blind River Community Centre.
A tightly-contested opening 20 minutes saw neither side convert offensively, much in part due to the goaltending of Burns and Landon Miller of the Thunderbirds.
Second period play saw much of the same as the two sides held firm defensively to keep the contest without a goal through 40 minutes.
Moving to the third period, Blind River broke the deadlock at 4:52 while shorthanded as Caleb Minns knocked down a Thunderbirds’ pass in his own zone, then came out on a two-on-one where Michael Gallagher took the play wide then sent a pass in front where a hard-charging Minns chipped it past a sprawling Miller.
Getting Miller out for an extra attacker in the late going, Sault Ste. Marie dumped a play in deep, but the Beavers’ Andrey Manov collected the puck just outside the crease and sent a long-range effort down the ice and into the empty net to seal the home ice victory.
The win sees Blind River improve to 38-11-2-2 on the year while the close setbacks results in the T-Birds record falling to 33-14-3-2.
“Highlight of the Night” – NOJHL YouTube Channel
