TIMMINS, Ont. – The Greater Sudbury Cubs capped off a three-game road trip by getting two goals from Cameron Shanks as part of a 6-3 victory over the Timmins Rock in a Family Day Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League matinee Monday at McIntyre Arena.
Skating in their first home contest since back on December 19, Timmins collected the afternoon’s initial tally, 5:42 into the proceedings, thanks to Nicholas Frederick as he wired a drop pass from teammate Justin Charette off the upper post and in from the left face-off dot.
Greater Sudbury answered that just past the four-minute mark of the second stanza as Billy Biedermann split the Rock defence and darted in where he chipped one over the blocker of netminder Gavin McCarthy for his 15th goal of the season.
The Cubs then took the lead midway through the contest with a shorthanded effort courtesy of Shanks who capitalized after a Timmins’ player fanned on a play that allowed him to speed down the right wing and rip a shot into the top shelf.
Regrouping, the Rock countered less than a minute later with Cameron Dutkiewicz snapping one on net that was stopped by Greater Sudbury’s Jake Marois, but the rebound clipped off a defender and skipped into the open side.
The Cubs then took the lead late in the second off a dump-in that saw Biedermann get to the puck first and make a perfect backhand in front that was promptly swatted in by Mathieu Morin to put the guests up 3-2 after 40 minutes.
Skating four aside in the third, Nolan Ring of the Rock was the beneficiary of a Cubs giveaway that let him make a few strides to the net and beat Marois with 11:32 left in regulation.
After controlling a draw, the visitors worked it across to Carter Geoffroy who proceeded to move in from the point and blast a shot from the top of the right circle that flew into the back of the net, for the eventual game-winner.
Shanks then added some insurance after his harmless looking attempt up high deflected off the glove of McCarthy and bounced in at 15:17.
Sudbury then finished it off with an empty netter from Kyler Campbell in the final minute.
With the win, the Cubs raised their record to 18-12-3-0 while the Rock slipped to 25-6-2-1 in defeat.
Game Photos:
Thomas Perry – The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
