NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014
Butterfly’s beauty in OT lifts Nickel Barons past Beavers
SUDBURY – A splendid individual effort goal by Sudbury Nickel Barons’ defenceman Khadyn Butterly 2:02 into overtime was the difference as his club skated past the visiting Blind River Beavers 4-3 Wednesday evening in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at McClelland Arena.
Sudbury stormed out to a 2-0 lead with strikes 51 seconds apart in the first period on tallies by Giovanni Foschia and Kurtis Clouthier to spell an early end to Blind River netminder Dylan Knox’s night in favour of Jessie Miron.
After Justin Bell put the Nickel Barons up three 4:46 into the middle session the Beavers answered back with a trio of power play markers to level the proceedings after 40 minutes.
Tyson MacLeod used the man advantage to put Blind River on the board at 11:20.
With the extra skater the visitors pulled to within one four minutes later courtesy of Scott Marshall.
Nick Trecroce then found the back of the net with another power play effort to tie it with 2:14 remaining in the middle session.
Neither side would score in the third period setting the stage for Butterfly’s winner in OT.
In the extra session he corralled a loose puck at his own blue line before methodically skating down the right side into Blind River territory where he cut in driving hard past a Beavers’ defender and snapped the game-winner past Miron.
Michael Muzyka made 27 saves to record the win for Sudbury while Miron stopped 25 of 26 in a losing cause in relief helping his side salvage a point. Knox stopped five of the seven attempts he faced in nearly 13 minutes of work.
League play continues Friday with three games including the start of the NOJHL Showcase in Espanola as the hometown Rivermen host the Elliot Lake Bobcats in a 7:30 p.m. start at the Espanola Regional Recreation Complex.
Friday’s other action features the Soo Thunderbirds putting their 15-game winning streak on the line as the welcome the second place Kirkland Lake Gold Miners to Essar Centre while Blind River takes on the Abitibi Eskimos in a trio of 7:30 p.m. starts.
