Hearst Lumberjacks force Game 6 after 10-6 comeback win over Sudbury Cubs

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A northern Ontario sports update

Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League playoffs

NOJHL playoff picture is taking shape

The Hearst Lumberjacks stormed back from a third-period deficit with six unanswered goals to defeat the Greater Sudbury Cubs 10-6 in Game 5 of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) Finals on Friday night, staving off elimination and forcing a Game 6.

The Cubs, who now lead the best-of-seven series 3-2, had a chance to clinch the title on home ice at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex but were overwhelmed by Hearst’s late-game surge.

Greater Sudbury opened the scoring just 3:47 into the game on a power play, with Noah Kohan burying a feed from Daks Klinkhammer for the Cubs’ league-leading 20th man-advantage goal of the playoffs. Lucas Signoretti, who extended his point streak to all 13 postseason games, picked up the secondary assist.

Hearst responded with a shorthanded marker from Mathieu Comeau, who fired a shot past Cubs goaltender Karsen Chartier midway through the first.

The second period turned into an offensive explosion.

“An eight-goal barrage in the second stanza, including five by the Cubs, saw the two clubs fill the net in the session,” the NOJHL said in a news release.

William Pâquet briefly put Hearst ahead before Sudbury’s Cameron Shanks tied it 30 seconds later. The Cubs then regained the lead on another power play goal from Michael MacLean, but Hearst’s Liam Boswell evened it up on a 5-on-3 advantage.

Signoretti and Spencer Horgan scored to give Sudbury a 5-3 lead, but Comeau’s second of the night cut the deficit to one before Kohan added a shorthanded goal to make it 6-4 after 40 minutes.

The third period belonged to Hearst. After replacing starting goaltender Alexandre Boivin with Owen Bonthius, the Lumberjacks mounted a furious comeback. Boswell and Chase Thompson scored to tie the game before DonHeaven Veilleux put Hearst ahead for good at 13:28. Henry Ouellet added insurance, and empty-net goals from Veilleux and Bronson Babyak sealed the 10-6 victory.

Game 6 is set for Monday at 7 p.m. at the Claude Larose Recreation Centre in Hearst. If necessary, Game 7 would be back in Sudbury on April 30.