McMahon’s 2 OT rush helps Blind River edge Rayside-Balfour in extra time

CHELMSFORD, Ont. – A Dylan McMahon goal 2:57 into double overtime, off an end-to-end rush, was the game-winner as the Blind River Beavers edged the Rayside-Balfour Canadians 3-2 Sunday evening in a hard-fought Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest at Chelmsford Arena.

The visiting Beavers were quick to strike in this one as well as Jack Rudin collected his ninth marker of the season just 29 seconds in to put his side on top.

Rayside-Balfour came back with the equalizer a few shifts later when recently acquire Shane Donovan supplied to first NOJHL goal at 3:16 to level the proceedings.

The Canadians added another before the first period was complete thanks to Baldino Aiello’s seventh overall, which came just past the 15-minute mark of the frame.

Caleb Serre’s 20th tally of 2017-18 knotted the affair once more two and a half minutes into the middle stanza as the Blind River forward finished off a McMahon feed.

It stayed 2-2 from there throughout the rest of regulation and the first five-minute OT session sending it to three skaters aside in the second extra period.

There McMahon corralled a loose puck in his own zone where he proceeded to skate down the ice before darting past a couple of Canadians’ defenders and moving in on Rayside-Balfour goalkeeper Matty Mayhew while making a quick deke over to his left and sliding in the game-winner with a backhand into the open side to end it.

The Beavers’ Michael Corson was called upon to make 35 stops to pick-up the win helping his side improve to 19-13-1-0 on the year.

Mayhew meanwhile made 36 saves along the way aiding in the Canadians collecting a point as their record went to 16-8-1-1 on the campaign.

Photo courtesy of Rob Fera:  www.sudburylight.ca