NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Saturday, April 1, 2017
McDonald posts Voodoos’ first-ever playoff shutout as Powassan blanks Timmins
POWASSAN, Ont. – The Powassan Voodoos used a second consecutive fast start and the shutout goaltending of Nate McDonald to send them to a 4-0 triumph over the Timmins Rock in Game 2 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League East Division Final Saturday at the Powassan Sportsplex.
The Voodoos now lead this best-of-seven affair 2-0.
Next up will be Game 3 Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. as the series shifts to McIntyre Arena in Timmins.
Much like Friday’s Game 1, it was all Powassan in the first period as they struck for three markers to take early control.
Gary Mantz put the Voodoos in flight 1:37 into the contest with his fifth of the postseason.
Shane Beaulieu then put the home side up by a pair near the 11-minute mark of the stanza, which spelled the end of Rock starter Al Rogers’ night in favour of Jeff Veitch.
Beaulieu then notched his second of the frame as he corralled the puck off a face-off win deep in Timmins territory, then proceeded to muscle his way along the boards, around the net before forcing his way out front and lifting a backhander past Veitch at 14:29.
The Voodoos continued to press the pace, but were continually denied by Veitch in the Timmins net the rest of the way.
A two-man advantage in the latter stages of the third gave the Rock a chance to break McDonald’s shutout bid, but they could not solve the Voodoos’ netminder.
Timmins pulled Veitch in favour of an extra attacker after that, but Mantz carried the puck over the red line added an empty netter from long range to cap off the win at 18:48.
Bo Peltier dished out two assists in the victory while McDonald had one along with the triumph in net.
McDonald finished with 22 saves to post the first-ever playoff shutout in Powassan history.
Rogers suffered the loss allowing the two against on eight attempts while Veitch was solid in long relief finishing with 35 stops overall.
East Division Final
No. 1 Powassan Voodoos vs. No. 3 Timmins Rock
Powassan leads best-of-seven series 2-0
Game 1: Powassan 6 Timmins 2
Game 2: Powassan 4 Timmins 0
Game 3: Tuesday, April 4 @ Timmins 7:30 p.m. (McIntyre Arena)
Game 4: Wednesday, April 5 @ Timmins 7:30 p.m. (McIntyre Arena)
Game 5*: Friday, April 7 @ Powassan 7 p.m. (Sportsplex)
Game 6*: Sunday, April 9 @ Timmins 7:30 p.m. (McIntyre Arena)
Game 7*: Wednesday, April 12 @ Powassan 7:30 p.m. (Sportsplex)
*-if necessary
