Flin Flon tops Sudbury in Centennial Cup action Monday
A harmless looking rush just prior to the expiration of the second period saw Reid Arberry score the eventual game-winning winning goal, with a half second remaining, and lift the Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL) to an eventual 6-4 victory over the Greater Sudbury Cubs (NOJHL) Monday afternoon at the Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, at Credit Union Place.
After a solid Flin Flon chance, Greater Sudbury countered quickly to open the scoring when Mason Walker set-up Briir Long in the slot, who whipped a shot upstairs, high over the blocker of Bombers’ netminder Charlie Tritt, nearly five minutes in.
Countering, the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League champions tied it as Leo Seitz redirected one past Cubs goaltender Iain Wintle.
The Bombers kept coming and took the lead at 7:16 after forcing a turnover in deep and worked the puck in front that Connor Miller got just enough of it to see it slowly go in as Wintle slid across his crease.
A solid Flin Flon forecheck led to a third tally in the session as Rhett Ewen neatly directed in a point shot from Ryder Mucha.
Tacking on another in the final minute of the first, Ewen chipped in his second of the session, while battling in front, which also led to a goaltending change as Cubs’ back-up Matthew Vahramian entered in relief.
In the middle frame, Greater Sudbury cut into the deficit off an odd-mush rush generated by Walker who darted down the left wing and fired a feed in front that Owen King quickly snapped in at 5:19.
Moments later, they notched another thanks to Daks Klinkhammer as he swiped a play off the stick of a defender and went in where he lifted in his chance up top.
A third straight marker brought the NOJHL title holders even on a man advantage, on yet another rush started by Walker, as his pass across from the left wing found the tape of Briir Long who wired a shot off the post and past Tritt.
That saw the Bombers decide on a netminding change themselves with Finn Werner coming in between the pipes.
Retaking the lead right before time expired in the second stanza, Flin Flon’s Arberry came down the right side in transition from his own end and after darting past a defenceman, fired a rising attempt that got Vahramian just off his line and found the top left corner at 19:59.
With Tritt coming back in for the Bombers, action in the third saw the Cubs push to tie it and force overtime, but the Bombers’ Lincoln Alexander iced their first victory at the 10-team event with an empty netter in the final moments to round out the scoring.
Picking up player of the game nods were Briir Long and Arberry.
The 1-2-0 Cubs will round out their round robin portion of their schedule Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET as they meet 1-1-0 Collège Français de Longueuil (LHJAAAQ).
GAME SUMMARY
