POWASSAN - The GNML-leading North Bay Trappers hung on for a 5-3 win over the Timmins Majors Sunday afternoon at the Sportsplex.
Leading by a goal in the final minutes of the contest, the Trappers got a power-play marker off the stick of Hunter Foreshew — his 14th of the season — into an empty net to seal the deal.
It was the third game and third loss in two-and-a-half days for the Majors, who had won four of their previous five games heading into the GNML’s Christmas break.
The started off their weekend excursion with a 6-0 loss to the Nickel Capital Wolves in Sudbury Friday night and a 7-1 loss to the same squad Saturday evening.
Things again started poorly Sunday afternoon at the Sportsplex, as they spotted the home side a 2-0 advantage.
North Bay got goals off the sticks of Nick Hakala, his seven of the season, and Sam Garagan, his ninth of the campaign, just over a minute apart midway through the opening period.
Garagan’s goal was the first of four power-play makers the Trappers scored in the contest.
Majors defenceman Cameron Dutkiewicz got one of those goals back less than three minutes later when he scored his eighth goal of the season, also a power-play marker.
The Trappers were able to restore their two-goal advantage before the end of the frame, however, as Cole Craft scored his 15th goal of the season with less than three minutes remaining on the clock.
Jacob Peterson Galema then pushed the Trappers’ lead to 4-1 five minutes into the second period when he scored his 10th goal of the season.
Gabby Kioki’s first of two power-play markers on the afternoon and his seventh goal of the season cut the Majors’ deficit to a pair of goals at the 11:11 mark of the middle frame.
Kioki then pulled the visitors to within a goal when he scored his second power-play marker of the afternoon and eighth goal of the season just over five minutes into the third period.
The Majors pressed to try and tie things up, but those efforts fell short when Foreshew deposited the puck into an empty Timmins net with just two seconds remaining in regulation.
With the win, the Trappers improved to 24-2-0-2 on the season and moved two points ahead of the Wolves atop the GNML’s Major Division standings.
The third-straight loss left the Majors, who hold down fifth place in the division, with a record of 10-17-0-1 — five points behind the Soo Greyhounds and 10 points ahead of the New Liskeard Cubs.
Timmins still has four games in hand of the Greyhounds and two in hand on the Cubs.
The Majors will have a chance to close the gap on the Greyhounds when they host the Soo for a pair of games this coming weekend at the McIntyre Arena.
The teams will face off against each other Saturday, at 7:30 p.m., and then on Sunday, at 1:30 p.m.
Majors 3 Trappers 5
First Period
1. Trappers — Nick Hakala (Kyle Armstrong, Ian Denomme) 10:26
2. Trappers — Sam Garagan (Kobe Seguin, Matt Hardwick) PP11:46
3. Majors — Cameron Dutkiewicz (Gavin Martel, Riley Brousseau) PP 14:10
4. Trappers — Cole Craft (Nick Davis, Ryan Mills) PP 17:01
Second Period
5. Trappers — Jacob Peterson Galema (Cole Craft, Riley Audet) PP 5:02
6. Majors — Gabby Kioki (Frederic Leclair-Pouw) PP 11:11
Third Period
7. Majors — Gabby Kioki (Shane Benoit, Cameron Svec) PP 5:32
8. Trappers — Hunter Foreshew (Kobe Seguin, Matt Hardwick) PP EN 19:58
Goalies — Majors: Dylan Dallaire (59:00, loss); Trappers: Riley Audet (60:00, win).
