Third-period collapse costs Greater Sudbury Cubs in 6-3 loss in their Game 2 at Centennial Cup

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The Greater Sudbury Cubs let a third-period lead slip away Saturday as the Northern Manitoba Blizzard erupted for five goals to secure a 6-3 victory in preliminary Centennial Cup action at Calgary’s Max Bell Centre.

The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) champion Cubs struck first on the power play at 6:55 of the opening frame when Lincoln Moore wired a high-slot shot past Blizzard goaltender Taye Timmerman, set up by Michael MacLean.

Northern Manitoba equalized in the second period as Jack Linton pounced on a loose puck in the crease, beating Cubs netminder Karsen Chartier with a backhand.

Greater Sudbury regained the lead just 19 seconds into the third when Spencer Horgan buried a rebound off Daks Klinkhammer’s point shot. But the Blizzard answered with two power-play markers – first from Cheechoo Lathlin and then Brett Ward – to take a 3-2 lead.

Ben Harris briefly tied it for the Cubs about halfway through the third, roofing a shot over Timmerman’s blocker.

However, Northern Manitoba pulled away with three unanswered goals, including Alexandre Andre’s rebound tally and Tyler Dahms’ backhand finish. Linton sealed the win with an empty-netter with less than two minutes left.

“Picking up player of the game honours in the match-up were Moore and Linton,” said NOJHL commissioner Robert Mazzuca.

Shots favoured the Blizzard 35-21 by the end of the contest.

The Cubs (1-1-0) return to action Monday against the Ontario Junior Hockey League‘s Trenton Golden Hawks (1-0-1) at 6 p.m. ET.