Photos: Northern Lights Photography
HEARST, Ont. – An impressive Mathieu Comeau marker, 3:42 into overtime, was the difference as the Hearst Lumberjacks withstood a solid effort from the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners before eventually prevailing for their 12th consecutive Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League victory Saturday in a matchup held at Claude Larose Recreation Centre.
A fast-paced first period went without a goal as the clubs went to their respective dressing rooms, and the intermission, still in search of the evening’s initial tally.
Action in the second stanza saw the Lumberjacks’ Chase Thompson snag a loose puck along the side boards and take it to the net where he got just enough of a shot to sneak it past Gold Miners’ netminder Glen McInnes.
Adding to their edge while shorthanded, Hearst’s Cole Miller chipped a play ahead that sent the home side in on a two-man break that saw Cameron Menard finish off a quick give-and-go with Comeau for his league-leading 40th tally of the season at 13:14.
Kirkland Lake eventually solved goaltender Jack Helkie off a draw that saw Jeremy Schoenborn shovel one through his legs with one hand on his stick, deep in the session.
However, Hearst countered prior to the frame coming to a close as Ty McKay put a pass in front that Julien Trudel collected and fired in at 19:56.
The Miners inched closer late on a five-on-three in the third when Nathan Harper worked his way free from the end wall and ripped one top shelf, short side, on Helkie.
Then right off the draw while still up a skater, the visitors Cayden Kowal ripped in the equalizer from the left circle for goals six seconds apart.
Heading to extra time, the Hearst captain won it with a splendid effort as Comeau took a short dish off from Miller, then dipped around a defender before moving in a neatly tucking in a backhand between the legs of McInnes to end it.
The result sees the Lumberjacks maintain their winning ways as they improved to 33-8-0-3 overall.
With a well-earned point in defeat, Kirkland Lake moves to 15-26-0-6, which puts them four-up in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the league.
