Solid goaltending from Jake Marois helped the Espanola Paper Kings to a big 7-2 win over the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League-leading Greater Sudbury Cubs on Feb. 2.
Ranked in the top 10 of junior hockey teams in Canada, the Cubs have a commanding lead in the NOJHL with 72 points, three ahead of closest rival the Timmins Rock.
The loss drops the Cubs’ record to 35-7-2-0 while the Paper Kings boosted theirs to 21-16-2-2.
Espanola drew first blood after forcing a turnover deep in Greater Sudbury territory three minutes into the game.
“On the play, Spencer Horgan put a shot towards the net from the right point that was neatly redirected in by Lucas Signoretti, parked in front of Cubs’ goaltender Noah Metivier, for his team-leading 22nd tally,” the NOJHL said in a game report.
At 4:45 of the first, Espanola did it again with solid forechecking freeing the puck for Graydon Guthrie to put it past Metivier and make it 2-0 for the Paper Kings.
“Capitalizing on the evening’s initial power play helped the home side get right back in it as they kept a play in the Espanola end and saw Nicholas Toffoli dish a cross-ice feed over to Samuel Assinewai, who made a quick deke and tucked in his 10th marker of the campaign.”
With the game at 2-1, the Paper Kings would add another before the first period ended. On the power play, Cayden Kowal wheeled around the net and circled his way to the high-slot where his spinning wrister fooled Metivier, who was replaced by Cubs’ back-up Noah Beaulne after the goal.
In the second and up 3-1, Espanola scored again when Jonathan Lush won a race to the puck and flipped it to Conor Walton between the hashmarks who sighted the bottom corner on Beaulne and made it 4-1 for the Kings.
The second would end without further scoring.
Moving onto the first minute of the final frame, Lucas Signoretti would score for Espanola when he snapped one blocker side to complete a give-and-go with Lush.
The Cub’s would get on the board for the last time when Miguel Renaud picked the left corner on Marois to make it 5-2 Espanola.
Signoretti would earn another point on the game with Espanola on a five-on-three power play. He teed up Kyle den Ouden in close who ripped one past Beaulne to make it 6-2.
Espanola would add one more before the final buzzer
Finishing off the one-sided scoreline, Spencer Horgan put one upstairs through a screen for another extra-man effort in the final couple of minutes to cap-off the scoring, ending the game 7-2 for the Paper Kings.
The Cubs are back in action on the road on Feb. 4, taking on the French River Rapids at Noelville Arena.
