RIVALRY RENEWED

THU 4
NIA 5 OT

NIAGARA FALLS, ON- Since their move to western Ontario, the Thunder Bay Timberwolves have always had a spirited rivalry with their cross-province brethren in Niagara Falls. Friday night's contest against the Thunder was no different.
>>>Said Timberwolves captain, Keith Ballard before the game. "You have to up the tempo and keep your head up against these guys. You either turtle and they plow through you. Or you square up and punch them in the chin."
>>>Needless to say, there was an edge to the game even before the puck dropped.
>>>After taking a hooking penalty, David Perron put his club down early in early in the first. But an quick outlet pass from Ballard and a 2-on-1 rush by Ethan Moreau (pictured) and Ryan Johnson capped off by a Johnson goal made things right for the Timberwolves.
>>>Radek Dvorak would turn a breakaway into a goal at 14:20 and Thunder Bay took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
>>>Less than a minute into the second period, Sheldon Souray winded up and blasted his signature hard, heavy shot over the head of a ducking Nikolai Khabibulin to make it 3-0 Timberwolves.
>>>Kris Draper would pull the Thunder within one at 7:06 in the second.
>>>The chirping and extra curricular jabs after whistles finally came to a head after the Timberwolves Bryan McCabe anialated Marco Sturm at the blueline with the German's head down. There was no penalty on the play, but Niagara Falls' Craig Rivet took exception to the hit and slashed McCabe across the knee and took a 2-minute minor. McCabe did not return to the game.
>>>"The hit was clean, but I can understand wanting to stick up for a teammate," said Souray. "But drop the gloves and address the matter that way. Don't be a (expletive) and bury your stick into someone's knee. But I really expected nothing less from these (expletive)."
>>>At 2:46 into the third period, Marc Savard was baited into dropping the gloves with Sean Avery and took a 2-minute minor.
>>>Eleven seconds later, Ethan Moreau found a willing combatant in David Clarkson as the two dropped their mitts and slugged it out until Clarkson slew footed Moreau that felled both players.
>>>"They can't backup their constant yapping and then when one actually has the balls to fight, they take out the guys legs?" said Ballard. "(expletive) 'em."
>>>T.J. Oshie matched the Thunder powerplay tally with one of his own at 5:16 into the third to put the Timberwolves up 4-2.
>>>Jonathan Toews answered with a pair at 7:05 and 12:23 to tie things up for Niagara Falls.
>>>With the head games in full effect, Sean Avery was a kid in a candy shop.
>>>After taking a deflected shot in the neutral zone to his 'lower regions', Jay McKee skated off the ice to Avery in his ear. The very next shift, Matt Niskanen who is not known for the fisticuffs got into a shoving and gloved punching match with Avery as the two skated by the Timberwolves bench. Then to no ones surprise, as the two were being restrained by the linesmen, Avery speared Niskanen in his 'lower regions'. Niskanen was not injured, but Avery did get the gate with a game misconduct.
>>>"It what he does," later said Niskanen. "He does anything and everything to get under your skin. Often he crosses the line. Like he did again tonight. But whatever you need to do to stay up here I guess. He's pretty much worthless otherwise."
>>>Still agitated, Niskanen would end up taking a unnecessary penalty six seconds into overtime only to be answered with an RJ Umberger goal three seconds later to win it for the Thunder.
>>>"They drew us in and took us completely off our game," said Timberwolves head coach Craig Hartsburg. "They got called on alot of their actions, and we should've capitalized on those powerplays we were given. We didn't and they sucked us in and capitalized for three powerplays of their own. We can't give in to teams like this."
>>>The Timberwolves play again tonight at home against the North Dakota Ibex (13-16-2). Their third in a row. North Dakota is also coming off a third period debacle where they held a 2-1 lead only to lose to Springfield 3-2.
>>>
>>>3-STARS
>>>***Joe Corvo (NIA) - Goal & Assist
>>>**RJ Umberger (NIA) - Game winning goal & Assist
>>>*Jonathan Toews (NIA) - 2 goals & Assist