Timmins Rock forward Ryan Armitage slips the puck through the five-hole on Espanola Paper Kings goalie James Meredith for a shorthanded goal during the second period of Friday night’s NOJHL contest at the McIntyre Arena. Armitage’s seventh goal of the season helped the Rock dump the Paper Kings 8-2, extending their winning streak to eight games. THOMAS PERRY/THE DAILY PRESS jpg, TD, apsmc
TIMMINS, Ont. – Some first period milestones by a trio of Timmins Rock players aided in an eventual 8-2 victory over the Espanola Paper Kings in a penalty-filled Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League match-up Friday at McIntyre Arena.
Skating in his 100th NOJHL game, the Rock’s Kaeden McArthur scored just 56 seconds into the proceedings as Reece Liu negated an icing call by winning a race to the puck and sending back pass to top of the crease, where it was whipped in past netminder Jack Helkie.
Timmins then made it 2-0 midway through the first period as Jack Kelly scored for a career-high fifth straight outing as he took an Alexis Tremblay feed at the top of the left circle and buried a shot through traffic during a man advantage.
The marker also gives Kelly points in seven straight contests.
Adding another less than a minute later, Kai Clayton made it 3-0 for the home side as he darted down the right wing and ripped a wrister through Helkie at 10:56, for his initial tally as a member of the team.
Going to an extended power play, the Rock pumped in two more to take a five-goal cushion into the first intermission.
Some crisp passing by McArthur and Liu left Kelly with a tap-in, which also saw Helkie lifted in place of James Merdith.
Tremblay then capped off the offensive outburst at 18:07 as he tipped in a low Clayton attempt that came from up top.
Still on a man advantage into the middle frame, Lucas Lowe scored 50 seconds in by banking in a rebound off a McArthur attempt.
Adding to the onslaught while shorthanded, Ryan Armitage picked off a play at his own blueline, then raced in alone on a breakaway and neatly tucked his chance through the legs of Meredith.
Espanola did get on the board midway through the game, while up a skater, thanks to Graydon Guthrie cashing in on a rebound while parked to the right of Timmins’ netminder Dryden Riley.
Heading to the third, the clubs exchanged extra-man markers with Kaden Wicklander scoring on a wrist shot for the visitors while Henry McLellan did likewise for the hosts.
The victory for the Rock was their eighth in a row as the improved to 18-7-0-0 overall.
With a fifth straight loss, the Paper Kings fell to 8-13-2-0.
Game Photos:
Thomas Perry – The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
