Skyhawks shut down Thunderbirds

Mike Lalande sets up for a T-Bird shot in the first period. Lalande stopped all 19 shots he faced on the night. Photo by Chris Dawson.

Nick Kulas scored a powerplay goal five minutes into the third period to break a 0-0 tie as the Skyhawks went on to defeat the Sault Ste. Marie Thunderbirds 3-0 and even up their best-of-seven NOJHL semi-final series 1-1.

Kulas took a feed from Jon Ryan who faked a shot and sent a cross-ice pass right onto the tape of Kulas’ stick and he fired it past a sprawling Mike Maulucci for what ended up being the game winning goal.

“I definitely knew we were going to come out and score the first goal and I knew we were going to come out hard and put the first one in,” Kulas said after the game.

The goal seemed to rattle the T-Birds as moments later Dustin McCrank got in behind the defence and was stopped by Maulucci who stopped the first rebound and then made a brilliant pad save off Dennis French on the second rebound to keep it at 1-0.

The Thunderbirds got a good chance moments later when Ryan Maunu’s one timer in the slot was turned away by Mike Lalande who made his first start since game four of the Abitibi series.

The Skyhawks added to their lead on a bad clearing attempt behind the Soo net which left Dustin McCrank all alone and he fed a wide open Dennis French and he roofed one past Maulucci that gave the Skyhawks the huge 2-0 lead at 14:03 of the final period.

Justin Roy added an empty net goal with 31 seconds to play to solidify the Skyhawks victory.

It was a disappointing finish to a tight checking game for the Sault Ste. Marie Thunderbirds. After scoring seven times in the opener at home, the T-Birds were unable to get their offence flying on North Bay ice.

“We had some chances we were hoping to get that first one when we were deadlocked 0-0 but to no avail,” said Thunderbirds head coach Toots Kovacs.

“But as well as Lalande played I think Mike Maulucci played outstanding for us he could have stole that game for us and we are hoping he’s going to continue to play that way and we’ll go back at it tomorrow night in the Soo.”

Hawk Clips

The game included a pair of fights. In the first one the Skyhawks Justin Piquette duked it out with Jacob Porco and both were ejected in the second period after an altercation between Piquette and goaltender Maulucci, while in the second contest Frank Desbeins got the best of T-Bird Mark Thorburn in a third period tussle . . . T-Birds forward Chris Towell, who recorded the hat-trick in game one, was hit hard by Dustin McCrank in the third period and did not return . . . Skyhawks played very well defensively blocking a number of shots in the final two periods; allowing the Soo only 6 shots on goal in the final period . . . The two teams meet again Monday night in Sault Ste. Marie for game three.