Adversity for the Greater Sudbury Cubs in 2022-2023 came in the form of a series of second half outings in which the team never really threatened to come out on the winning end after posting a stellar record in the first half of the NOJHL season.
After winning 11 of their first 12 games to open the 2023-2024 campaign, the Cubs are once again facing a little adversity, dropping three of their last four encounters. The good news is that two have been by a single goal and a third setback was a two-goal loss.
The ugly stretch (certainly by comparison to their torrid start) was extended Friday night in Espanola as the Cubs dropped a 3-2 decision to the Elliot Lake Vikings, one night after a furious third period rally fell short in a 4-3 loss to the Soo Thunderbirds.
Between those two games, Sudbury head coach Darryl Moxam noted where he felt the slight slippage was taking place, with the T-Birds having built up a 4-1 lead before the Cubs came close on tallies from Brock Houser and Nolan Newton.
"You have to give credit to the opposition," said Moxam. "That's a very well-coached hockey club that played one heck of a structured game and capitalized on some opportunities. But it was really too little too late with respect to our sense of urgency."
"For at least half of that game, we weren't willing to match their intensity," added Moxam. "They did a lot of the little things that we didn't do and that's something that we've been struggling with for about a week."
Ben Harris netted the first Sudbury goal with Newton chipping in with a pair of assists while Jacob Smith, Kaden Dundas, Grayson Ebrahim and Jackson Truchan handled the scoring for the winners.
Facing the homeless Vikes last night, the Cubs were down 2-1 after one as Ryan Rubic but the visiting team on the board before Liam Bridgeman and Tomas Palandra countered for Elliot Lake.
Sudbury pulled even in the middle stanza thanks to a strike from newcomer Mason Chitaroni but Palandra would spoil any type of celebration for Moxam and company, breaking the deadlock at 4:32 of the third as Vikings' netminder Matthew Vahramian was outstanding, making 54 saves and earning first star honours.
"We have to get back to playing the way we did in those first two to three weeks of the season," said Moxam. "That's on me and my staff. But there was a good comment last night: when we start to believe that each and every guy beside us, each guy in the lineup can get the job done, then we're going to be in very good shape."
With Sudbury adding highly touted defencemen Justin Seguin, Josh Kavanagh (still injured - has not yet played) and Mason Chitaroni to the fold, there has certainly been chatter in local hockey circles that they are separating themselves from the pack - at least on paper.
"We understand that in the end, it doesn't matter who we bring in," said Moxam. "Individual players don't win championships; teams win championships."
The Cubs are back in action on Thursday, hosting the French River Rapids (2-13-0-0) before embarking on a stretch of five straight road games, beginning with the Soo Eagles next Saturday (Oct 28th), with Sudbury tackling a three in three stretch: vs Hearst Lumberjacks (Nov 3rd); vs Iroquois Falls Storm (Nov 4th); vs Timmins Rock (Nov 5th), as the Big Nickel Hockey Tournament fills all slots at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex on the first weekend of November.
