The Sudbury Wolves showcased their superpowers at the fifth annual Superhero Game in support of the Children's Wish Foundation on Friday, securing a 4-1 victory over the Oshawa Generals.
Oshawa flew into the Sudbury Arena on an air of confidence, having defeated the Pack 5-4 on their last visit to the Nickel City, but a lot can change in one month of OHL matchups.
This time, the Wolves were ready for the force of their southern rivals and managed to hold them on the ice until the final frame, while slowly building their lead to victory.
Wolves' goalie Christian Purboo was named first star in the matchup, followed by teammates Quinton Byfield and Emmett Serensits. Purboo is second in league wins with 11 and fourth in goals-against average with 2.87.
Despite several shots from both sides of the ice, the scoreboard remained empty heading into the second period, thanks to a strong show between the pipes by Sudbury's Purboo and Oshawa's Zachary Paputsakis. Shots on goal were 15-8 in favour of the Generals after the first 20 minutes.
Byfield broke open the game at 7:31, scoring his 15th goal for Sudbury this season with assistance by Peter Stratis and Serensits. He returned to the net at 16:15 to deliver what would be the game-winning shot on a power play, with help from David Levin and Jack Thompson.
Tempers flared in the second period, resulting in nine minutes of penalty time for both teams. The calls were for charging, unsportsmanlike conduct, and fighting on the part of the Generals, and a bench minor, fighting, and slashing by the Wolves.
Sudbury moved into the second period up two, with shots on goal 15-13 in favour of their visitors.
The Generals took their place on the scoreboard 10 minutes into the final frame off Allan McShane's sixth goal of the season, but this celebration would prove to be short-lived. Wolves' Kosta Manikis responded 23 seconds later, bumping the team's lead to three with help from Owen Robinson.
Sudbury's Macauley Carson delivered the final blow at 15:35, with assistance from Nolan Hutcheson and Liam Ross, capping the game at a 4-1 final for the pack.
Oshawa once again outshot Sudbury in the period 16-8, with final shots on goal 46-29 in their favour.
The Sudbury Wolves remain second in the league overall, second in the Eastern Conference, and first in the Central Division with 14 wins and 8 losses.
The Sudbury Wolves finish off their homestand with a visit from the Hamilton Bulldogs Sunday at 2:05 p.m.
