If the Nipissing Lakers men’s hockey team didn’t have bad luck, they wouldn’t have any luck at all.
Once again, the Lakers put in a solid effort, fired over 30 shots towards the opposition’s goal, but at the end of the day, came up short, as the visiting Laurentian Voyageurs topped the Lakers 3-1 Wednesday night in North Bay.
Apparently 35 shots, a 5-on-3 and late pressure aren’t enough for the Lakers these days, who have now had back-to-back games where they deserved a better fate.
Vees goalie Charlie Millen was very good in net, making 34 saves, including a number while his team was shorthanded – which seemed to be most of the second period.
Things got off to a good start for Nipissing, as they found the back of the net first thanks to real good puck movement.
After exiting their zone, Joel Herbert took the puck to the net and put Nipissing up 1-0.
Chad Thibodeau and Jimmy McDowell drew assists on the game’s opening marker.
Just before the end of the first, the Vees would respond and tie the game on a loose puck in front of Lakers goalie Domenic Graham.
Shots were 10-9 Laurentian and the scored was even, 1-1, after the opening 20 minutes of play.
The second period, despite the shots being even, belonged to the Voyageurs on the scoreboard.
The visitors from Sudbury scored both goals to go up 3-1, a lead they would hold on to for the final period.
They scored about a minute apart early in the period and smothered the Lakers the rest of the way.
In the third, Nipissing peppered the net, firing 13 more shots at Millen, but despite chances, were unable to find the back of the net.
Millen finished with 34 stops, while Graham made 28 in a losing cause.
The game heated up physically down the stretch, as well, as tempers flared resulting in 14 penalty minutes in a couple of different scrums.
The Lakers will look for revenge Friday when they travel down Highway 17 to face the same Voyageurs in the second part of the home-and-home series.
With their win, Laurentian also goes up 5-0 in the 705 Challenge Cup between the two teams.
Game time in Sudbury, at Countryside Arena, is set for 7:35 p.m.
The loss drops the Lakers to 2-4-1 on the season and sit in eighth place in the OUA Eastern Conference.
