Powassan comes back to upend Greater Sudbury in OT
After setting up the tying goal late in regulation, Powassan Voodoos defenceman Marcus Krats notched the game-winner 5:16 into overtime as part of a 4-3 victory over the Greater Sudbury Cubs Wednesday in a thrilling Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League mid-week match-up at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
Going to work on an extended power play deep into the first period, the Cubs opened the scoring off some crisp movement at 17:14.
The tally saw Caden Dubreuil neatly steer in a pass past Voodoos’ netminder Derrick Champagne while situated at the top of the crease put to him from along the goal line by Nolan Newton.
Coming back to tie it early in the second stanza, Powassan broke out of the their own zone with pace, which led to Jesse Lefebvre pumping in a second chance by Greater Sudbury goalkeeper Iain Wintle.
The Voodoos then took the lead just over 13 minutes into the middle session when Krats moved in from the point, then side-stepped a defender, before firing a shot that was stopped by Wintle, but Pavel Barclay was right there to swat in the rebound.
With the marker, Barclay and Krats both extend point streaks to five games apiece.
Answering with an equalizer prior to the intermission, some diligence down low, including a nifty back pass from along the end boards from Dubreuil into the slot, allowed Kaedyn Long to hammer in his eighth goal of the season as well as collect his 50th NOJHL point.
Moving to action in the third, the Cubs went back in front during another lengthy power play as Spencer Hordan led a rush up ice into Powassan territory and dished off a feed to Dubreuil in the left circle where he wired a shot high over the glove of Champagne with 10:25 remaining in regulation.
Then with their netminder out for an extra attacker, the Voodoos won a draw that led to Krats firing a pass across to Dylan Rousselle, who cruised in and roofed a missile into the top corner, through a screen, with 71 seconds left to force OT.
The marker saw Rousselle pick up at least one point in nine straight contests.
In the extra session, after handling a Greater Sudbury power play, Powassan countered to win it on a delayed penalty as Krats went in, drove around the net and stuffed in a wrap around on Wintle to end it.
That marked a seventh consecutive triumph for the Voodoos, who improved to 19-7-0-2 overall.
With a point in the setback, the Cubs went to 22-6-1-2.
