OLIVER PAIPOONGE – Four days after they had their 17-game winning streak halted on home ice, the Kam River Fighting Walleye started a new one.
They did it at the expense of the visiting Red Lake Miners, erasing a 1-0 deficit after 20 minutes with a pair of goals 89 seconds apart in the middle stanza, going on to edge their opponent 5-4 on Friday night at the Norwest Arena.
In the process the Fighting Walleye snapped Red Lake's 12-game winning streak and opened up a little more breathing room in the Superior International Junior Hockey League standings, broadening the gap between the two teams to 11.
Trenton Morriseau scored twice for Kam River, including the game-winner on a wraparound 1:15 into the third that fooled Red Lake goaltender Kive Kineshanko, with singles going to Kersey Reich, Alex Enegren and Carson Gorst.
Given the tightness of the standings, and the fact top spot will be determined by winning percentage, it was a big win said Morriseau, who upped his goal total to 17.
“All these games down the stretch mean a lot,” said Morriseau, breaking a three-game goal-less slump.
“With the COVID break it’s about winning percentage now and every game counts. They’re a good team over there and we just came out on top tonight.”
Kam River coach Matt Valley was even more impressed.
“That was the best game we’ve played in a while,” he said. “It seemed like we just kept building. And that’s what really what we’ve been preaching lately – just keep getting better. Don’t worry about the results as much as focusing on the details, getting better at the little things. It’s a team that does show a lot of character and a lot of reliance no matter what goes on, good or bad.
“You can’t ride the highs too high or you can’t fall into the lows too bad. That was us tonight.”
Ryan Hunter opened the scoring for Red Lake on the power play, potting his 23rd of the season past Kam River goaltender Austin Madge, making his fourth straight start for the Fighting Walleye.
Reich evened things up at 7:32 of the second and Kam River jumped in front 2-1 1:29 later, Morriseau slamming a low shot on a 2-on-1. But despite being out-shot 15-5 in the second, the Miners drew back even before the period ended, when Jordan Barenesky broke free from Reich for a shorthanded breakaway, rifling the puck past Madge on a sharp-angle shot.
It was all Kam River in the early going of the third. Morrisaeau scored 75 seconds into the final frame, then two minutes later Alex Enegren let loose a low snap shot from between the circles, the pick whizzing through Kineshanko’s skates for a 4-2 advantage. Gorst made it 5-2 just shy of the midway point of the period, but Red Lake stormed back to close the gap, ultimately making it a one-goal game.
Jack Parker found the twine, grabbing a rebound and shoveling the puck home on the backhand at 11:19 and Baranesky made it 5-4 with 36 seconds to go in regulation, Kineshanko on the bench in favour of an extra attacker.
Both teams had goals waived off in the third and Red Lake hit a pair of posts in the first.
The two teams will tangle again on Saturday night. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Red Lake, Hunter 23 (Nyman, Howe) 6:28 pp. Penalties: McCollum KFW (boarding) 2:02, Sedgwick KFW (hooking) 6:20.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 2. Kam River, Reich 5 (Veneruzzo, Crysler) 7:32. 3. Kam River, Morriseau 16 (Dunmore, Gorst) 9:01. 4. Red Lake, Baranesky 26 (Howe) 19:06 sh. Penalties: Piekarczyk RLM (slashing) 3:01, Dunmore KFW (interference) 11:49, Bolin RLM (tripping double minor) 16:29.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 5. Kam River, Morriseau 17 (Gorst, Wiseman) 1:15. 6. Kam River, Enegren 18 (Lang) 3:18. 7. Kam River, Gorst 10 (Morriseau, Dunmore) 9:47. 8. Red Lake, J. Parker 8 (Rossetti, Harrold) 11:19. 9. Red Lake, Baranesky 27 (Bolin, Hunter) 19:24. Penalties: Harroun KFW (cross checking), Harrold RLM (slashing) 16:22.
GAME DATA – SOG – Red Lake 15-5-11-31, Kam River 15-15-10-40; Power plays (goals-chances) – Red Lake (1-3), Kam River (0-3); Goaltenders – Red Lake Kiev Kineshanko, Kam River: Austin Madge; A: 275.