Cubs crown Paper Kings

ESPANOLA, Ont. – The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League-leading Greater Sudbury Cubs continued their winning ways Friday by crowning the Espanola Paper Kings 6-1 at the Regional Recreation Complex.

Some solid early diligence by the Cubs’ Cole Crowder saw him work the puck along the end boards and put it in front where Cameron Shanks ripped a shot high over the blocker of Paper Kings’ goaltender Creedon Dyck, 2:20 into the contest.

Greater Sudbury then went up by a pair, while on the power play, as Kyloe Ellis patiently waited from the point before putting a shot on net that was eventually lifted in by Crowder, from in close, at 11:31.

Not done there, the visitors added another during another man advantage a few minutes later as Cameron Walker redirected in a Matthew Mazzota attempt from up high, while situated between the hash marks.

A fourth Cubs marker came before the first intermission when Miguel Renaud’s harmless looking shot from outside the blueline fooled Dyck and found its way in for his first NOJHL goal.

Espanola did get one back with a shorthanded effort near the midway point of the contest when Graydon Guthrie was sent in alone on a breakaway and made no mistake by whipping one low blocker side on Greater Sudbury starter Noah Beaulne.

Getting that back at 12:55, Christopher Innes made it 5-1 for the guests as he knocked one in before Dyck could corral it at the top of the crease.

Adding another before the second stanza came to an end, the Cubs broke out quickly and saw Renaud send a perfect pass across to Marshall McCharles, who made no mistake by firing one past Dyck from the left wing.

That would be it offensively the rest of the way as the final frame went scoreless.

The victory for Beaulne was his fifth in succession as the front-running Cubs raised their overall record to 12-2-2-0 while the Paper Kings fell to 7-6-1-2.