CHELMSFORD, Ont. – Breaking open a one-goal game, the Rayside-Balfour Canadians rode the strength of a trio of unanswered tallies in the second period to send them on their way to an 7-3 triumph over the Espanola Express Thursday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest at Chelmsford Arena.
Kicking off the match-up was the Canadians Kyle Liinamaa who notched his 20th of the season just 2:40 into the first period.
Rayside-Balfour added another one seven and a half minutes into the stanza as Carson MacMillan picked up his first in his initial appearance of the campaign to put the hosts up by a pair.
A man advantage in the latter stages of the session helped Espanola get on the board as Hunter Halcrow connected on the power play at 15:59 with his sixth marker of 2018-19.
The second stanza was all Canadians though as they scored three times in rapid succession to break it open.
After Giordano Biondi made it 3-1 at 4:07 in the session, Evan Krassey and Chase Stillman tacked on markers 25 seconds apart later on to put Rayside-Balfour up by four through two.
Zachary Matyasik brought the Express closer at 11:16 of the third as he picked up his 10th goal only to see Zachary Hauseman counter for the Canadians on the next shift to restore the cushion.
Espanola kept competing and were rewarded with their third of the evening, which came off the stick Jarod Hurley with 5:53 to go.
Going to the power play late in regulation, Matthew Dokis-Dupuis sealed the victory at 18:12 as his 17th rounded out the scoring.
Rayside-Balfour also out shot Espanola on the night, by a 46-34 margin, with David Bowen earning the win while Andrew Rocha suffered the loss.
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