Photos: Hélène Rancourt
BLIND RIVER, Ont. – Roaring back from a four-goal deficit with less than 14 minutes remaining in regulation, the Espanola Paper Kings struck four times in rapid succession to force overtime, then completed the comeback with a Cameron Menard game-winner on the power play, to shock the Blind River Beavers 5-4 in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League affair Saturday at the Blind River Community Centre.
An opening period beset with penalties went scoreless as the clubs went to their respective dressing rooms for the first intermission still in search of the evening’s initial tally.
In the second stanza, the hometown Beavers broke the stalemate five and a half minutes in when defenceman Julian Young notched his first NOJHL goal when he lifted one from the point that past a screened Logan Vale in the Paper Kings’ net.
More from Blind River saw Danny MacDonald opt to shoot on a two-on-one as he steamed his way up the right wing and whistle a shot by Vale at 14:53.
Adding another, while up a skater three minutes into the third, Mathis Lafond muscled his way in along the side boards before scoring from the left circle.
Ellyot Dundas then supplied another a couple of shifts later as he redirected in a Wyatt Jarratt shot.
Espanola eventually solved Blind River goaltender Justin Sullivan at 6:44 as Joseph Coates came in slowly and deposited a rising wrister to see him run a point streak to seven while the teams skated four aside.
The Paper Kings picked up another moments later when Menard spun after taking an Owen Smith pass and collected his 21st of the campaign.
Maintaining the momentum, Espanola tacked on a pair of power play markers to knot the affair at 4-4.
Luc Warner took a cross-ice pass from Menard and converted from the right side at 9:42 before defenceman Wyatt Farries worked his free between the circles and buried another Menard feed for the equalizer with 3:42 remaining in regulation.
On the man advantage again in OT, Menard collected the rebound off a Warner blast and lifted in a backhand to complete the comeback victory.
With the outcome, the Paper Kings raise their record to 14-8-0-1.
The Beavers did pick-up a point in defeat as they fell to 6-11-0-3.
