ELLIOT LAKE – The surging Elliot Lake Wildcats skated to their franchise-best fourth win in a row Friday evening as they edged the Sudbury Nickel Barons 5-4 in overtime in a highly entertaining Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest at Centennial Arena.
The game remained scoreless under the final minute of the opening stanza when Elliot Lake’s Phill Cloutier struck late in the frame on the power play.
Sudbury countered with a couple of early tallies in the second stanza to go up 2-1 as August Jarecki and Kyle Fransen, with the man advantage, replied for the visitors.
After the Wildcats’ Alec MacKenzie and Sudbury’s Jacob Bonin exchanged markers, Spencer MacLean added one for the home side at 18:52 to knot the affair at 3-3 through 40 minutes.
Mick Tourangeau gave Elliot Lake with 7:26 left in regulation only to see the Nickel Barons rally late and force OT when Jimmy Roy struck on the power play with just two seconds remaining.
In the first extra session the Wildcats would prevail as Liam Blais shovelled the puck towards the net as it eluded Sudbury netminder Kevin Labelle to give Elliot Lake the extra point that was up for grabs.
Cole Hepler had a pair of assists for the winning side as did Khadyn Butterfly for the Nickel Barons.
Allan Menary helped his club improve to 4-1 earning the decision as he faced 34 shots.
Labelle saw 40 pucks fired his way as Sudbury’s record went to 7-1-0-1 overall.
NOJHL action resumes Saturday as Blind River visits Abitibi while Mattawa has their much-awaited home opener as they entertain Cochrane in a pair of 7:30 p.m. starts.
