Photos: Sudbury Light Event Photography
SUDBURY, Ont. – Silas Crawford scored three times and teammate Calum McGill assisted on each of them, added a goal of his own, to send the Elliot Lake Red Wings on their way to a 5-2 triumph over the Cochrane Crunch Tuesday at the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League Showcase at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
Some chances for both clubs in the opening 20 minutes failed to provide the game’s initial tally, much in part due in part to the starting goaltenders, Sean Guerin of the Red Wings and Jake Dubinsky of the Crunch.
A couple of early power plays in the middle frame helped the Red Wings take flight as they converted twice to take a 2-0 lead.
Crawford collected the first marker, just after a two-man advantage had expired, as he neatly redirected a Cameron Dial attempt from the left point, a minute in.
Up a pair of skaters again, Dial used a give-and-go with D-partner McGill before cruising into the high slot where he ripped one past Dubinsky.
A sloppy line-change by their opponents helped Cochrane advance with numbers deep in the second and allowed them to capitalize on a three-on-one that was finished off by Zachary Johnson as he snapped a shot into the right-hand corner for his initial NOJHL goal.
Elliot Lake got that back though prior to the intermission when Crawford poked in a rebound off a McGill effort from the right point while they were up a skater.
The Crunch power play went to work in the third, which helped them pull to within one, as Guerin could not corral a Christian Shields shot from up top and allowed Tyler Rimstad to bang in the rebound for his first NOJHL goal at 7:21.
Regrouping, the Red Wings clicked twice in the back half of the frame, beginning with Crawford’s third as he was the beneficiary of some quality moves by McGill, who danced in and slipped a pass across that was neatly tipped in.
Back for his second game of the season, after a stint in the OHL, Teegan Dumont provided some insurance for the victors with just over five minutes remaining as he darted down the left wing and powered his way to the net where he took the play wide and slid the puck in the open side for a highlight-reel effort.
Guerin got the win for Elliot Lake while Dubinsky suffered the defeat.