Hudson Chitaroni scored 52 seconds into overtime to give the Greater Sudbury Cubs a 3-2 win over the visiting Espanola Paper Kings on Thursday night at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
The Cubs built up a 3-1 second period lead only to allow the Paper Kings to tie it up and force the extra session.
Oliver Smith had one goal and one assist for the Cubs while Brayden Bruce scored twice for the Paper Kings.
Late first Brayden Bruce got the Paper Kings on the board first as he got a rebound off a Liam Rampersad shot and beat a sprawling Cubs Noah Metivier that made it 1-0 at 18:37 of the opening frame.
In the second period, the Cubs solved Marois as Samuel Assinewai put home a power play marker through a screen from inside the right point to square things at 1-1.
A minute later Cameron Shanks snuck behind the defence on the big ice and came down the right wing and made a power move that beat Marois for a 2-1 Cubs lead.
Then midway through the period and Cubs on the power play, Oliver Smith put one home his league-leading 36th on a quick release from his off wing on a nice cross-ice pass through the slot from Nolan Newton which made it 3-1 at 10:18.
Late in the second period, Lucas Signoretti was hauled down on a clear breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot. The speedy and shifty forward came in slowly on Metivier and made a deke to his forward as he waited out the Sudbury netminder for his 34th to make it 3-2.
Mid third, the Paper Kings evened the score as it was Bruc again, this time on top of the right circle as he rifled a wrister by Metivier to make it 3-3.
Early in extra session three on three play, Cubs forward Hudson Chitaroni scored the game winner on a drop pass from Josh Kavanagh beating Marois to end the contest.
The Cubs improve to 35-9-1-1 while the Paper Kings, drop to 27-17-1-0.
The local team takes on the Paper Kings once again this evening (Feb. 9), but they’ll be travelling down Hwy. 17 to play at the Espanola Regional Recreation Complex.
