Photos: Caleigh Fera – Points North Media
SUDBURY, Ont. – Backed by a milestone night by Owen King, that saw him score four times and add an assist, the Greater Sudbury Cubs went on to cruise past the French River Rapids 11-3 Thursday in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
Pushing the pace from the onset, Greater Sudbury began the scoring 3:41 into the contest when Nate Lazarus lobbed a knuckling puck from the top of the left circle that got over the glove of French River netminder Matis Bureau-Morel for his first of the season.
The Cubs generated more chances in the remainder of the session, including during a couple of man advantage opportunities, but Bureau-Morel kept the Rapids in it through 20 minutes.
In the middle stanza, the home side doubled their lead when King scooped up a loose puck off a Kaedyn Long wrap around attempt and lifted in a close-range chance.
Combining for another, Greater Sudbury went up by three after Long fired a crisp cross-ice feed to a streaking King, who slammed in his second of the session at 8:29.
Capitalizing on their initial power play chance of the night, Michael Morazscyzk put French River on the board midway through the proceedings by cranking in a one-timer from the right side after being teed up by Joey Stiles with a blast that flew past Greater Sudbury goalkeeper Matthew Vahramian.
The Cubs countered a couple of shifts later to go back up by three as Spencer Horgan took a dish from King and sizzled it over the blocker of Bureau-Morel.
With the assist, King reached the 100-point plateau in his NOJHL career.
More from the hosts saw Lucas Antonioni get into the act with a rush from distance that saw him drive hard to the net and get just enough of his chance to see it bounce up and roll in.
The Rapids pulled closer following Vahramian losing an edge and falling along the end boards that gave Bryson Villeneuve a free pass into the slot that Jonah Gareau pumped in.
Greater Sudbury then took a 6-2 cushion late in the frame, which had Mason Walker finish off a set-up courtesy of a Eidan Macartney dash.
Putting it away in the third, King collected his third hat trick of the season and 10th of his career as he flew into the French River end right off a face off in the other end and buried a shot with authority.
Extending the onslaught, Noah Kohan ripped one upstairs from the right side at 4:43.
No. 4 on the night for King saw him scoop up the leftovers off a scrambled draw and make quick work with a rising wrist shot.
Picking up another while up a skater, Stiles lifted one in from distance off a Villeneuve pass to see the Rapids convert via the extra man.
Reaching double digits just 12 seconds later, Daks Klinkhammer was found alone between the circles and wire in his 15th.
Klinkhammer then elevated a backhand a couple of shifts later to complete the scoring.
