Thunder Bay, Ont.- Despite being down first, the Timberwolves scored the most important last goal in their 5-4 Opening Day win over the Calgary Chinook in the all-Canadian match up.
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Francois Beauchemin put the visiting Chinook up 1-0 at 7:13 with assists from Mikko Koivu and Kyle Okposo. A lead they held until 18:49 when newly named Timberwolves captain, Patrick Sharp tied things up while on the power play, unassisted. The Timberwolves leader led by example and less than a minute later at 19:43 took the lead for his club with an assist from his centre, Matt Duchene.
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Duchene, who was rewarded with a stellar pre-season with centering the Timberwolves top line would not play the final two periods of this opening game after laying out in front of a Brad Stuart shot that rolled up his body and struck his cheek just below his visor. X-rays were negative, but the second-year pivot will sit for the next week.
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Calgary's Mark Giordano brought the Chinook back at 12:01 in the second period. Only to be answered by the Timberwolves two-time 50-goal-scorer, Marian Gaborik at 12:25. Former Chinook, Dion Phaneuf got the primary assist on the goal for his first Timberwolves point.
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With six players dressed for Thunder Bay that were not on last year's club, there was bound to be first-time points to be had in their new sweater. At 2:20 in the third, defenseman Niklas Kronwall put the Timberwolves up by two for his first tally from Shawn Horcoff and Cal Clutterbuck. Their first points.
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In a span of six minutes, the Timberwolves lead was quickly evaporated off two Chinook goals from Okposo and Jakub Voracek. But at 14:41, alternate captain Rick Nash scored the game-winner from Milan Lucic and John Tavares.
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Thunder Bay's next game is Tuesday back at Canadian National Gardens when they welcome the former Havana Moon, now Keflavik Whalers to town.
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3-STARS
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*Patrick Sharp [THU] - 2 goals
**Rick Nash [THU] - Game-winning goal
***Kyle Okposo [CAL] - 1 goal and an assist
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