After doubling up 8-4 over the Blind River Beavers on Sunday, March 14th in an afternoon matinee in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario in game one of 2021 COVID Cup, the Soo Thunderbirds returned to action on Thursday, March 18th at the John Rhodes Centre for game two of Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action.

At 2:03 of the opening period, Cooper Smyl sinks his 14th of the season picks up a lose puck in front of sprawling Beaver goaltender Wyatt Courchaine to give the Thunderbirds a 1 – 0 lead. Kurtis Rogers and Ty Zachary drew them contributors on Syml’s goal. On a Soo power play and with a pass from the left blue line from Connor Toms, Cameron Dutkiewicz fires his eighth of the season from the top of the left face off circle with a wrist shot over Courchaine’s right shoulder to bring the Soo’s lead to 2-0 only 40 seconds into the second period, Tyson Doucette added the other goal on the Thunderbirds second of the contest.

Shorthanded at 12:20 of the second, Noah Boman sends a cross crease pass from the left on Courchaine’s net to a wide open Cooper Syml scores his second of the game increase the Thunderbirds lead to 3-0. Dutkiewicz drew the helper on Smyl’s goal. With the Thunderbirds on a three on two, Malek picks up the rebound off of Courchaine’s pad 41 seconds past the halfway mark of the second to give the Thunderbirds a 4-0. Russell Oldham and Rogers notched the assists on Malek’s fourth of the 2021 season.

With the Beavers on a power play, 8:46 into the final period, Blind River’s Jacob Kelly fires a slap shot from the top of the left face off circle over Thunderbird netminder Alex Bugeja’s left shoulder, Devin Mauro and Spencer Kennedy had the contributors on Kelly’s 13th of the season. From his knees in front of Bugeja, Beaver Thomas Michaud sinks his seventh of the season off of a rebound to close the gap to two for Blind River. Noah Minns and Justin Mauro registered the helpers on Michaud’s goal to bring Blind River within two.  Wyatt Courchaine turned away 24 of 27 shots in the Beavers 4 – 2 loss to the Thunderbirds while Alex Buegja stopped 41 of 43 shots in the Soo’s second straight win over Blind River.

Beaver coach Kyle Brick told Saultsports that “you don’t win hockey games by just playing the third period.  Another game in the box, my guys are frustrated and I don’t blame them. It was real tough to keep them. Focused with the constant parade to the box.”

“We might of been in a shootout, but Bujera was god like. Official shots were 43-27 for us, the Thunderbird netminder Bugeja, kept them in the game, added Brick.

“I thought we played good let the foot off the gas a little bit in the third, but Alex kept us in that game stood on his head. Well we will have to come out stronger then we did today and not let the foot off the gas, because they are going come hard, stick to are systems and bring it to them,’ said Thunderbird defenseman Cameron Dutkiewicz.

Visit Saultsports photographer Bob Davies Soo Thunderbirds versus Blind River Beavers 2021 COVID Cup game two photo gallery.

The Thunderbirds now head to Blind River for a Saturday, March 20th matchup against the Beavers in a NOJHL puck drop.

Photo Credit: Bob Davies