Hearst: GAME 2: Timmins Rock's power-play woes continue in Hearst

Hearst goalie Alexandre Boivin makes one of his 30 saves as Timmins Rock forward Clark Scaddan and Lumberjacks forward Henry Ouellet look on during Game 2 of their NOJHL semifinal series at the Claude Larose Recreation Centre Saturday night. Boivin provided shutout goaltending as the Lumberjacks went on to blank the Rock 6-0 and take a 2-0 lead in the series. GARY ROSEVEAR/FOR NOJHL NETWORK jpg, TD, apsmc HEARST - The Timmins Rock's struggles on the power play continued during their 6-0 Game 2 loss to the Lumberjacks at the Claude Larose Recreation Centre Saturday night. GAME 2: Timmins Rock's power-play woes continue in Hearst Struggles might actually be the understatement of the century, however, when you consider the Rock have gone 0-10 on the power play and allowed not one, not two, not three but four shorthanded goals in the first two-games of their best-of-seven NOJHL semifinal series. And, for the second-straight game, it was a Mathieu Comeau shorthanded marker that proved to the game-winning goal Saturday night. Comeau also had the game-winning tally in the Lumberjacks' 5-2 win in Game 1 of the series in Hearst Friday night. In fact, Comeau has scored three of the Lumberjacks' four shorthanded tallies to this point in the series. As one might expect, Rock coach and general manager Brandon Perry was not a happy camper following Saturday night's contest. "There is not much work to be done, we have got to rest and execute better, that's all," he said, when asked what adjustments the Rock need to make on the power play before Game 3 back in Timmins. The coach acknowledged there were similarities in terms of how the plays developed that resulted in those four shorthanded markers. "Turnovers at the (offensive) blue-line and just lack of execution, that's all it was, really," Perry said. "They are really good at jumping those pucks. They cheat for offence a little bit and we were careless with the puck. That's what happened." On the other side of the special teams equation, the Rock are a perfect 5-5 on penalty kills throughout the first two games of the series, but the Rock coach found little comfort in that fact. "It's been okay," Perry said. "It still lacks a little bit of details, but it has been okay." If the Rock are to have any hope of winning the series and advancing to the NOJHL finals, they have to win at least one game at the Claude Larose Recreation Centre and they will have two more potential opportunities, in Game 5 or Game 7, should the series advance that far. "I guess," Perry said, if the Rock can take any comfort from that fact. "We just have to start playing better, that's all. We need to win Game 3, so we are not thinking about Game 5, Game 6 or Game 7." Indeed, it is tough - but not impossible - for any team to overcome a 3-0 deficit and bounce back to win a best-of-seven series. "Yes, we just need to get the next one," Perry said. Comeau's third shorthanded goal of the series, scored at the 16:45 mark of the opening period, gave the Lumberjacks a 1-0 lead. Thanks to the shutout goaltending of Alexandre Boivin, whose brother Patrick Boivin is an assistant coach with the Rock, Comeau's marker would stand up to be the game-winning goal. The Lumberjacks added to their advantage in the middle frame, with Liam Boswell netting his second goal of the playoffs. Timmins Rock goalie Dryden Riley can't get across his crease fast enough to prevent Hearst Lumberjacks forward Aiden Kalin from scoring on this backdoor pass from DonHeaven Veilleux during Game 2 of their NOJHL semifinal series at the Claude Larose Recreation Centre Saturday night. Kalin's third goal of the playoffs gave the Lumberjacks a 3-0 lead in a game they would go on to win 6-0, giving them a 2-0 lead in the series. GARY ROSEVEAR/FOR NOJHL NETWORK jpg, TD, apsmc Aiden Kalin followed with his third tally of the post season and Chase Thompson added his third marker of the playoffs. The Lumberjacks kept applying pressure in the third period and were once again able to add to their lead. Hugo Allard chipped in with the Lumberjacks second shorthanded marker of the game, his first goal of the playoffs, at the 15:07 mark. DonHeaven Veilleux then closed out the scoring when he netted his team-leading seventh tally of the post season, making the final 6-0 in favour of the Lumberjacks. "No, there wasn't at all, to be honest," Perry said, when asked if he saw any positives in either of the first two games in the series. "Their team just wanted it a lot more than we did." The coach's response was similar when asked if any individual Rock players impressed him with their effort in either Game 2 or in Game 1. "Not really, no, it is the same guy every night, Reece Liu," Perry said. "He is the only guy every single night who gives us maximum effort." Like his teammates, the first-year Rock forward was held off the scoreboard Saturday night, but his skating and forechecking made a positive impression. The Rock endured more than their share of injuries during the regular season and it appears that trend could be continuing in the playoffs. "We lost (forward Brant) Romaniuk, likely for the rest of the playoffs," Perry said. Romaniuk, tied for the team lead in goals, with four, during the playoffs exited Saturday night's contest with an upper-body injury. "We don't know yet, but we are assuming that (playoff-ending) is what it is," Perry said. "He has gone to the hospital, so we will find out more later." Boivin, who turned aside all 30 shots the Rock directed his way, picked up his sixth win of the playoffs and first career NOJHL post season shutout. Rock goalie Dryden Riley, who stopped 29 of the 35 shots he faced, was tagged with the loss. NOJHL NOTES - The three stars of the game were Boivin, Kalin and Veilleux ... The Rock went 0-4 on the power play and allowed two shorthanded goals, while the Lumberjacks were 0-1 with the man advantage ... Blue-liner Jakob Drobny, captain of the GNU18L's Timmins Majors, made his NOJHL playoff debut after getting in seven regular season contests with the Rock as an affiliate player over the past two campaigns ... Official attendance at the Claude Larose Recreation Centre was 461 ... The other semifinal series has the Greater Sudbury Cubs up 2-0 on the Soo Thunderbirds, with Game 3 of their series to be played in Sault Ste. Marie on Monday, at 7 p.m. ... The Rock will host the Lumberjacks for Game 3 of their series at the McIntyre Arena on Monday, at 7 p.m. Game 4 will be played at the McIntyre Arena on Tuesday, at 7 p.m.