SUDBURY - One night after scoring a 4-3 overtime victory over the Greyhounds in Sault Ste. Marie, the Timmins Majors came close to knocking off the GNML’s second-best team at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.

A second-straight slow start proved costly, however, as the Majors (6-11-0-1) dropped a 4-3 decision to the Nickel Capital Wolves (19-2-0-0).

Spotting a team as talented as the Wolves a 3-0 first-period lead is never a good idea, of course, which the Majors learned the hard way Saturday night.

“It was a good weekend and people sound surprised when we do well now, but we expect to do well,” said Majors coach Brandon Perry.

“We honestly think we should have got four points this weekend. In the Soo game, we didn’t play well in the first. We had to come from behind to tie it up and we got the job done in overtime.

“Then, Saturday night, we didn’t play well in the first period again. I just don’t know what it is with this group. We just don’t show up on time and then we have to try and come from behind.

“I warned them after the first period, you have got to play a full 60 minutes. We can’t play 40 minutes and expect to win, especially against good teams like Sudbury.”

Patrick Musico’s sixth goal of the season staked the home side to a 1-0 lead just 54 seconds into the contest.

Five minutes later, Carson McMillan’s first of two goals on the night and 17th of the season, increased the Wolves advantage to a pair of goals.

Then, Parker Savard added his 12th goal of the season eight minutes later to put the Majors down a three spot.

The Majors were able to get one of those goals back before the end of the first period, as Gabby Kioki scored his fourth goal of the season at the 14:00 mark to cut the deficit to 3-1 heading into the first intermission.

Then, Carson Cavalieri scored his third goal of the season at the 4:28 mark of the middle frame to make it a one-goal hockey game.

The Wolves answered back five minutes later, when McMillan scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal — his second on the night and 18th of the season.

Late in the game, down by two goals, the Majors pulled goalie Dylan Dallaire in favour of an extra attacker and they were rewarded when Riley Brousseau scored his seventh goal of the season.

That would be as close as they would come to getting back on even terms, however, as the Wolves hung on for the 4-3 victory.

“We scored again with our goalie pulled, which has sort of become a theme with this group,” Perry said.

“We had great execution when we pulled the goalie. It is a face-off play we run mostly every time when we pull our goalie and it has been really successful.

“After we got the first goal, we got the puck in deep and got another face-off and ran the play again. We got a tip on net and it almost went in to tie it up, but it was too little, too late.”

The Majors are sitting in the bottom third of the Major Division, but Perry feels his team is a lot better than its current record indicates.

“We expect to be there against the top teams in the league,” he said.

“We expect to win hockey games. We don’t care how it gets done. At the end of the game, we want to be on top and get those two points.”

Despite the two slow starts, Perry was — for the most part — pleased with his team’s effort on the road.

“I thought collectively, as a group, everybody played well,” he said.

“Our line of Cameron Chisholm, Riley Brousseau and Kobe Barrette was great. Man, they are playing good hockey.

“I thought Gabby Kioki had a really good game Saturday night, as well. He got two goals, but on the stats the credited one of them to Carson Cavalieri. It was nice to see him get his legs moving, going to the net and getting pucks on the net.

“During both games, but especially Saturday night, Dylan Dallaire was absolutely amazing. He has been outstanding for us all season. Man, he is a good goalie. His potential is sky high.

“He made some big saves in both games. Friday night one of the refs even came up to us and said, ‘Man, your goalie is playing great tonight.’ He has been a solid foundation for us all year.”

Alex Vendette went the distance in goal for the Wolves to pick up the victory, while Dallaire was tagged with the loss for the Majors.

MAJORS 4

GREYHOUNDS 3

Friday night in Sault Ste. Marie, defenceman Cameron Svec’s second goal of the season with 46 seconds remaining in overtime lifted the Majors to a 4-3 victory over the Greyhounds.

“Cameron Svec had a big game for us Friday night,” Perry said.

“He got two points, including the OT winner playing three-on-three against the Soo. He made a nice move and it was nice to see him get rewarded. He is a guy who doesn’t score too many goals.”

The victory allowed Timmins to close the gap on the Greyhounds (9-15-3-1), who hold down fourth place in the GNML’s Major Division standings to nine points — and the Majors still have 10 games in hand on the Soo.

Again, the Majors got off to a slow start in the contest and had to play catch-up hockey.

Avery Rebek’s first of three goals on the night and 14th of the season put the Greyhounds in front 1-0 at the 11:00 mark of the opening period.

The Majors were able to tie things up at 1-1 less than three minutes later, when Brousseau scored his sixth goal of the season.

Rebek’s second of the night and 15th of the season restored the Greyhounds’ one-goal advantage before the end of the first period.

Rebek then added an unassisted marker, his third of the game and 16th of the season, to put the home side up 3-1.

Cameron Chisholm’s power-play marker, his first of two goals on the night and fourth of the season, with eight seconds remaining in the second period pulled the Majors back to within one goal heading into the second intermission.

Then, Chisholm’s second goal of the night and fifth on the season tied things up at 3-3 at the 8:44 of the third period, setting the stage for Svec’s overtime heroics.

Dallaire went the distance in goal to pick up the win for the Majors, while Greyhounds netminder Andrew Uschenko was tagged with the loss.

In a strange scheduling quirk, the Majors do not play now until Friday, Dec. 15, when the travel to Kapuskasing for a game with the Flyers before returning home to host host the New Liskeard Cubs at the McIntyre Arena on Saturday, Dec. 16. That contest is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m.