Krats collects OT winner as Powassan edges Espanola

A Marcus Krats marker off an early rush, moments into overtime, lifted the Powassan Voodoos to a 3-2 win over the Espanola Paper Kings Friday in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at the Powassan Sportsplex.

The Voodoos took flight midway through the first period when Justin Rousseau worked his way out from the left corner and dished a feed over to Heath Bradley, who promptly whipped it over the pad of Paper Kings’ goaltender Logan Vale.

Adding one more a couple of shifts later, Pavel Barclay took a pass from Dylan Rousselle and worked his way down the middle before notching his 11 of the campaign.

After the hosts took their two-goal cushion into the intermission, Espanola cut into the deficit in the second when Matthew Spencer sent Jason Galante in alone on Powassan netminder Derrick Champagne and got just enough of a shot to score at 8:54.

With an extra attacker late in an effort to tie it and force overtime, the Paper Kings looked for a tying tally and did just that when Joseph Coates cranked in an equalizer with 40 seconds to go.

However, the Voodoos regrouped seconds into OT thanks to Krats, who darted ahead at three-on-three and let a shot go that clipped off the stick of a defender and knuckled past Vale for the game-winner.

The triumph for Powassan raises their record to 20-9-0-2 and with a point in defeat, Espanola moves to 19-13-0-2.