Just days after they battled back from a 4-1 deficit to pick up a win on home ice, the Soo Thunderbirds found themselves on the road against the same opponent and looking to avoid surrendering a similar lead.
A pair of goals early in the second period paced the Thunderbirds to a lead and the team would hold on for a 4-2 Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League victory on the road against the Greater Sudbury Cubs at Countryside Arena in Sudbury.
“We played with a lot of energy, for sure to start the game, and that was probably the difference was the way we started,” said Thunderbirds coach Cole Jarrett. “The boys were ready to go, and they came out flying. They were skating and moving, but staying within out structure, which really helped, especially on the big ice.”
Jarrett added that he felt the team got away from what was successful in the opening period as the game moved into the second period.
“It’s a common theme, but we got away from it a little bit,” Jarrett said. “The in the third, we found a way to rally back and get back within out structure and it showed.”
Although the teams played to a scoreless third, there was a lot to like from the Thunderbirds side of things.
“Obviously being on the road and up 4-2 is a great spot to be in so we stressed the importance [between periods] of making sure we get back to playing the right way and playing within our structure and that should carry us through,” Jarrett said. “That’s a testament to the boys playing for the team and not just for themselves. It would have been easy once we got to four in the second period to think ‘Keep pushing to get another one’ and that wasn’t the case. They all stuck together and played well.”
Thursday’s contest came after the Thunderbirds stormed back from a three-goal deficit in the third period on Sunday at the John Rhodes Community Centre to beat the Cubs 5-4.
Jarrett said Sunday’s result was on his mind when the team took the lead in the second period.
“It was in the back of my mind for sure,” Jarrett said. “That’s why we kept stressing that stay with it [mentality].”
The Thunderbirds opened the scoring when Lincoln Moore grabbed a turnover behind the Sudbury goal and hit Cooper Foster in the slot. The Ottawa 67’s prospect proceeded to beat Cubs netminder Jake Marois to take a 1-0 lead.
Brock Santa Maria made it 2-0 with just under four minutes to go in the frame when he took a feed from Samuel Lake and beat Marois high from the right circle.
Sudbury got on the board with 1:12 to go in the period when Kyler Campbell beat Thunderbirds goaltender Noah Zeppa with a shot from the slot after Seth Coulter’s initial shot from the top of the left circle was deflected in close.
The visitors increased the lead to 4-1 early in the second period.
Michael Chaffay restored the two-goal lead just 41 seconds into the frame when he broke down the right wing and tried to hit Tyson Doucette going to the net. The pass deflected off a Sudbury defender and past Marois to make it 3-1.
Just 2:11 later, the Thunderbirds went up 4-1 as Kolby Fellinger’s shot from the top of the left circle deflected past Marois off the stick of Doucette.
Sudbury would cut the lead to 4-2 after Zeppa misplayed the puck in the slot and Mathieu Morin capitalized with the Cubs shorthanded.
Zeppa finished the night with 29 saves while Marois stopped 24 shots for the Cubs.
With the win, the Thunderbirds improve to 3-1-0-0 on the young season.
The Thunderbirds return to action on Saturday night at home against the Espanola Express. Puck drop at the John Rhodes Community Centre is set for 7:30 p.m.
The team will then wrap up the weekend with a matinee game on the road against the Blind River Beavers on Sunday.