Savard leads Thunderbirds to road win

A six-game losing skid seems to be in the rear-view mirror for the Soo Thunderbirds.

Thanks to an overtime goal by Tyler Savard, the Thunderbirds beat the Rayside-Balfour Canadians 2-1 on Sunday evening in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action in Chelmsford.

The win extends the Thunderbirds current winning streak to four and the team has now won five of its last six games to improve to 8-7-1-2.

Savard scored the winner on a rebound after Nick Smith drove past a Rayside defender but was stopped initially. The puck dropped in the crease and Savard scored on the rebound,

Savard and Smith each finished the night with a goal and an assist.

Goaltender Colin Ahern stopped 31 shots, including 15 in the third period, for the Thunderbirds.

Matthew Belanger had the lone goal for the Canadians.

Rayside goaltender Nicholas Heinzle made 26 saves.

The Canadians fall to 11-6-1-0 with Sunday’s loss.

The Thunderbirds return to action on Oct. 25 when the team hosts Rayside in a 7 p.m. start at the John Rhodes Community Centre.