BLIND RIVER, Ont. – Less than 24 hours after having a season-high nine-game winning streak come to an end, the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners were quick to get back in the victory column as they defeated the Blind River Beavers 7-3 Sunday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League matinee at the Blind River Community Centre.
The Beavers did get off to a quick start in this one notching the game’s opening tally 41 seconds into the contest on Matthew Murray’s fifth goal of the season.
Kirkland Lake regrouped and struck for four markers in just over an 11-minute span to chase Blind River starter Matt Blattenberger before the stanza came to a close.
Blake Anderson tied it for the visitors at 6:55 while Sam Mancini put the Gold Miners in front at 15:48 with a man advantage effort.
Less than two minutes after that Brett Ouderkirk scored for the 19th time in 2015-16 while Kirkland Lake defenceman Adam Desgagnes ended Blattenberger’s day at 18:11.
The Gold Miners’ Logan Fredericks reached the 30-goal plateau 4:15 into the middle session to make it a 5-1 game.
Battling back, the Beavers got themselves back into the match-up picking up a pair of markers to pull with two heading to the third.
Sean Paterson’s eighth, midway through the period, and the 11th overall by Ted Davis three minutes later accounted for the Beavers’ tallies in the period.
However, Alexander Hester connected at 7:02 of the third giving Kirkland Lake some insurance while Mancini added another in the late going, via the power play, to round out the afternoon’s scoring.
Ouderkirk, Jesse Houlton and Dylan Holt dished out two assists apiece to aid the Gold Miners cause
Tyler Mazzocato made 32 saves to pick-up the win for the Gold Miners.
Blattenberger suffered the loss in goal for Blind River allowing the four against on 20 shots.
Martin Miloslavich finished up by stopping 31 of 34 in relief.
