BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
The Sudbury Northern Wolves snatched victory from the jaws of defeat last night, overcoming a two-goal deficit in the third period to record a 4-3 victory over the visiting Soo Thunderbirds.
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Sudbury goalie Paul Pidutti was spectacular throughout the game.
In the first two periods he made numerous key pad saves to keep the Northern Wolves in the game.
SudburyÂ?s Brian McGarry had another solid effort, producing a goal and two assists.
Sudbury's head coach Jason Stos didn't like his team's effort for the first two periods but was impressed with Pidutti's contributions.
Â?I think we were sleeping for the first 40 minutes,Â? Stos said. Â?Pidutti kept us in the game. He should have been the first star. It was the best game he played all year.Â?
Stos was glad Pidutti stepped up to the challenge of being the number one goalie for Sudbury now that former number one goalie Kevin Beech is with the Sudbury Wolves.
Â?Pidutti made 10 big saves in the first, another 10 in the second and probably another five or six in the third that gave us a chance to win tonight," said Stos.
"With Beech gone, Pidutti has felt a bit of pressure to step up as a number one. He's struggled a couple of games, but he's still feeling himself out. I know he can be a number one goalie. Tonight all his hard work paid off for him."
McGarry wasn't impressed with the team's effort.
"I think we played like crap," said McGarry.
"I think it was our worst game of the year by far, lucky for us we had a good goalie playing for us. He made some huge saves for us and we got a couple of calls our way, we buried the puck and won the game."
Pidutti was happy with his effort, but more happy with the team getting the big victory over the tough Soo squad.
"I made some key saves, but it was a team effort," said Pidutti. "We have been able to come together all year, late in games especially and that's what has made us a nationally ranked team. I felt comfortable tonight and it's great to get the win."
The Soo came flying out of the gates in the first period catching Sudbury sleeping and opened the scoring early.
The Soo's D.J. Jelitto raced in on Pidutti and ripped the puck past Pidutti up high to make it 1-0 at 4:24.
Sudbury answered back on the power play in the second period.
Jesse Graham took a nice pass from McGarry at the side of the slot and fired a bullet past Soo's goalie Mike Downer to tie the game at 5:24.
The Soo then went to work on the Northern Wolves.
In a span of 34 seconds the Soo scored two goals and were on the verge of blowing the game wide open.
Goals by Andrew Jakubaitis at 6:17 and Kelly Thompson at 6:51 had Sudbury reeling.
Pidutti managed to keep his composure, made some key saves and helped settle the team down.
Sudbury came out with vengeance in the third period.
Darren Marynuk took a sweet pass from Christian Cundari and wired it past Downer to make it 3-2 at 1:58.
Sudbury tied the game on the power play, when McGarry picked up a loose puck at the side of the net and zipped it past a sprawling Downer at 4:31.
Pidutti continued his heroics in the third period, making two big pad saves on Soo players from point blank to keep the game tied.
The Thunderbirds got into some late penalty trouble and it proved costly for them.
On a five-on-three power play, Sudbury's Dan Bourgeois jammed the puck home in a goal-mouth scramble at 15:41 to put Sudbury ahead for good.
Sudbury with held a last minute desperation charge by the Soo for the 4-3 win.
Sudbury's next home game is Nov. 26 against the Manitoulin Wild. Game time is 7:30 pm.
