There’s nothing a few new faces can’t cure.
The Thunder Bay North Stars, with just one win under their belt in 2011-12, made it two in a row on Friday night, pummelling the third-place Dryden Ice Dogs 6-2 in just the Stars second game on home ice this season.
Goalie Marc Nother, making his North Stars debut, didn’t allow a goal until the third period, stopping 25 shots as Thunder Bay improved to 2-4-3 on the season.
Nother, an overager from London, Ont., was joined in the North Stars line-up for the first time by Kyle Lapenskie and Michael Berens, each of whom drew assists to make a good first impression.
Lapenskie, a native of Terrace Bay, played for the Schreiber Diesels in 2,008-09 and spent the past two seasons with the Miramichi Timberwolves of the Maritime Junior Hockey League. Berrens, who grew up in Minnesota, was acquired from the Portage Terriers for future considerations.
But, while coach Todd Howarth, who sat this one out on a league-mandated suspension after his players took to fighting in a win last weekend over Duluth, has been tinkering with his roster, it was a third-year veteran who provided the offensive heroics in this one.
Sam Dubinsky, whose father is a part-owner of the once-troubled Superior International Junior Hockey League franchise, netted a pair of goals as the Stars roared out to a 6-0 lead after two periods.
It feels good to start winning.
“Yeah, last weekend was huge for us. We just picked up a couple of new guys and they’ve been filling (in) great. We’re on a little bit of a roll right now and getting the wins, finally,” Dubinsky said.
Not that Howarth, joined by son Isaac and star forward Kyle Breukelman on the suspension sidelines, was all that worried, despite the slow start.
“We’re a pretty good team. We’ve lost three games in overtime and shootouts to the two oldest teams in the league,” Howarth said.
“We had a pretty good weekend last weekend. We took four out of six points on the road and we’re the youngest team in the league. So I’m pretty happy with what we’re doing. We make mistakes. I’m not very happy with the way we just played in the third period. And they just got the wrath right now.”
Howarth spent a good 15 minutes after the contest talking to his players, finally emerging to speak with the local media after having his say.
“They’ll be different tomorrow, I can guarantee you that.”
He’d settle for a replication of their effort in the first 40 minutes of play against the Ice Dogs, a team that entered play at Fort William Gardens with a healthy 5-3-1 record, good for third place in the SIJHL standings.
Devin Fullum opened the scoring, picking up a loose puck in front of Dryden starter Brett Timmerman and bashing it home for a 1-0 lead.
Dubinsky doubled the lead before the period was out, and the Stars continued to roll in the second when Brandon Wolframe kept the puck on a 2-on-1 and upped the lead to three. Marshall Fox got into the act with his first of the season on the power play, the goal coming at 5:43 of the second. Matthew Alexander potted his first at 13:56, a goal that chased Timmerman from the Ice Dogs net.
Dubinsky, the North Stars captain, greeted replacement Kim Wildhaber rather rudely, tipping home an Alexander shot from the point to stretch the lead to six.
Ryan Lobreau spoiled Nother’s shutout bid at 9:13 of the final frame, then added a shorthanded marker for good measure three minutes later.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring : 1. Thunder Bay Fullum 2 (Berens) 9:52. 2. Thunder Bay, Dubinsky 2 (Fox) 14:50. Penalties: Nisse TB (high sticking) 7:05, Hogan TB (interference) 12:06. Brueggeman DRY (roughing) 14:35, Hogan TB (check to the head, misconduct, served by Lapenskie) 18:49.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 3. Thunder Bay, Rempel 4 (Wolframe) 2:04. 4. Thunder Bay, Fox 1 (Hogan, Mascarin) 5:43 pp. 5. Thunder Bay, Alexander 1 (Kaarela, Prout) 13:56. 6. Thunder Bay, Dubinsky 3 (Alexander, Lapenskie) 17:10. Penalties: Maggrah DRY (roughing) 5:34, Fullum TB (roughing) 6:04, Sonstebo DRY (roughing) 12:22, Tilley TB (interference) 13:08.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 7. Dyden, Lobreau 6 (Linner, Breckenridge) 9:13. 8. Dryden, Lobreau 7 (unassisted) 12:23. Penalties: Lapenskie TB, Sonstebo DRY (roughing) 9:02, Allaire DRY, Dubchak TB (unsportsmanlike conduct) 11:42, Cox TB (slashing) Schachte DRY (cross checking, roughing) 12:28, Wilgosh DRY, Wolframe TB (high sticking) 15:45; Kaarela TB (charging) 17:20
GAME DATA – SOG – Dryden 8-13-0-0, Thunder 9:13 Bay 11-9-0-0; Power plays (goals-chances) – Dryden (0-8) Thunder Bay (2-3); Goaltenders – Dryden: Brett Timmerman, Kim Wildhaber, Thunder Bay: Marc Nother; A: 200.
