The Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves are unleashing four years of frustration on the Sault Ste. Marie North Stars in the GNML Championship series.
Sudbury took control of the series with a pair of home victories this past weekend at the Countryside Arena.
On Saturday, Sudbury pieced together a 5-2 win, and then followed it up with a 9-4 rout on Sunday to take a two-games-to-none lead in the title series.
Game three takes place in Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday. Game time is 7 pm. If Sudbury wins, they take the series. If not, Game four goes Sunday at 2 pm.
In Game one, captain Mathieu Lecours and forward Deven Stillar paced the attack with two goals each in the 5-2 win. Defender Kyllian Kirkwood tallied the other marker. Sudbury busted open a 2-2 game in the third period with three goals to secure their first win.
In Game two, Sudbury exploded for four goals in the second period and another three in the third to pound Sault Ste. Marie 9-4. Lecours scored three goals and four points. Alex Cooper popped two goals. Singles went to Stefan Herrington, Devin Lockeyer, Ryan Johnston and Kirkwood.
"We had a great weekend," Sudbury head coach Peter Michelutti said. "We accomplished our goal of winning both home games. We started slowly in the first game...the guys were nervous because of the large crowd. We couldn't sustain an attack as we were in the penalty box a lot in both games. We were the second least penalized team this year so it was frustrating and hard to get anything going. Once they did, they took off and we were the better team, five-on-five, and it showed on the scoreboard."
Sudbury's penalty killing units worked overtime in the first two games. They killed off all nine penalties, including two five-minute majors, in the first game. In the second game, Sudbury managed to stop 11 of 14 power play chances for the North Stars.
"Our penalty killing was great," Stillar said. "In Game one, they killed off two majors which allowed us to gain momentum and win the game. They were just as good in Game two. Our goalie (Chirstopher McDougall) was huge...he played his two best games of the year. We owe a lot to him and the penalty killers."
After allowing 15 goals in two games, Sault Ste. Marie head coach Mike Hall was less than impressed.
"We have to compete and we're not doing that enough right now," Hall said. "We're not working hard either. We're getting what we deserve. We got our ass handed to us twice...we need to regroup at home and hopefully take two games there."
Sudbury doesn't plan to take their foot off the necks of the North Stars in the next game.
"We have them down and now we have to end it in the next game," Stillar said. "We can't give them any hope by allowing them to win one game."
Sault Ste. Marie isn't making plans for their own funeral just yet.
"It's not over...we will not lay down for Sudbury and they will have to earn it," Hall said.
