Photos: Allyson Demers
KIRKLAND LAKE, Ont. – A Fynn Manttari goal seven and half minutes into the second period held up as the game-winner as the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners pulled out a narrow 2-1 triumph over the Iroquois Falls Storm in a tight-checking Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League affair Sunday afternoon at Joe Mavrinac Community Complex.
It was the Gold Miners who opened the scoring four minutes into the matchup as Lex Lamontagne grabbed the puck off a draw controlled by Owen Kelly in the left circle and whipped a shot over the glove of Storm starter Nathan Boudreau.
With the assist, Kelly now has points in five straight outings for Kirkland Lake.
Answering with an equalizer while on a man advantage at 7:58 of the first frame, Rafek Dianov tallied for a third consecutive contest for Iroquois Falls as he pumped one past netminder Glen McInnes on a play put to him on the right side with help from Bryson Villeneuve and Jake Williams.
Action in the second stanza saw Kirkland Lake go back on top when Manttari steered in a play put into the crease from Kelly for his sixth of the season.
Still 2-1 Gold Miners into the third, neither side was able to add another offensively, including a diligent forecheck in the late going by the home side that helped secure the triumph.
With the win, 14-26-0-5 Kirkland Lake wins their second straight and moves into the eighth and final playoff spot in the NOJHL standings, now one point ahead of the 14-26-0-4 Blind River Beavers and two up on 13-26-2-3 Iroquois Falls.
The Beavers and Storm have eight regular season games remaining while the Gold Miners have seven left on their slate.
