THUNDER BAY – The Thunder Bay North Stars didn’t have much success against the Kam River Fighting Walleye this season, picking up just four of a possible 20 points in 10 meetings.
Come playoff time, however, the slate was wiped clean.
Now it’s the North Stars with the advantage.
Edison Weeks scored twice in the third period on Sunday night at Norwest Arena and rookie Evan Lachimea scored the go-ahead goal that gave the North Stars the lead for good, as Thunder Bay rallied back from a 2-1 deficit to take Game 1 of the Superior International Junior Hockey League final 4-3.
“That’s a hard-fought team win, and I think everybody’s pretty pumped up right now,” said Weeks, who upped his playoff goal total to five with his effort in the opener.
“I think the guys came back after the second and thought being down 2-1 that we’ve got to do something here. We haven’t won a game this season out here. Coach gave us a game plan today and everybody bought in.”
The Stars, who were coming off a double-overtime win in Game 7 of their semifinal series triumph over the Dryden Ice Dogs, showed early on their weren’t the same Thunder Bay team that kept games close most nights against the Fighting Walleye, but struggled to pull out the two points.
Still, it was the Fighting Walleye who struck first.
Noah Kramps had a couple of cracks at rebounds in front of Thunder Bay goaltender Keenan Marks, who faced 22 shots in the first, before the Fighting Walleye forward managed to punch it in at 15:26. But as time wound down in the period, the North Stars struck back, Dimitri Trahiotis finding the back of the Fighting Walleye net behind Eric Vanska with 15 seconds to go in the opening period.
The two teams were headed for a scoreless second until the North Stars Mason Wesley was sent to the box with 2:48 to play in the middle stanza.
Kam River’s power-play unit conjured up a flurry of chances before the puck came loose to Kyle Lamoureux in the slot. The soon-to-be 21-year-old unleashed a high, hard wrist shot that Marks had no chance to stop, and the Fighting Walleye took a one-goal lead to the third.
Weeks evened the score at 8:49 of the third on the power play, the North Stars finding their legs as the game wore on.
Lachimea, who scored once in four appearances for Thunder Bay this season as an affiliate call-up from the Thunder Bay Kings, made the most of his opportunity to play and found himself on the ice late in Game 1, in the right place at the right time.
“I just picked (the puck) up and beat the guy wide and just tucked it in short side,” the 18-year-old said.
“It’s definitely nice and it definitely pumped the boys up a little bit for Edison to go out and score on the next shift, to make it 4-2.”
North Stars coach Rob DeGagne said the mentality on the team is effort wins out.
“It was work. He just worked. He outworked somebody else. He’s a call-up from the Kings, but he’s played quite a few games for us now and he’s been fantastic for us,” DeGagne said of the rookie, who played a handful of games last season for the Fighting Walleye.
It turns out Weeks’ second of the night was more than just insurance. It was actually the game-winner, after Jack Cook scored a shorthanded marker with seven seconds to go in regulation, closing the Kam River deficit from two to one.
Time, however, was not on the Fighting Walleye’s side.
It was a heartbreaking way to open the series, said Kam River coach Geoff Walker.
“Things kind of went against us there in the third. On both those goals – Weeks’ goal we got beat off the rush wide, which is unacceptable – and then we got out muscled by Lachimea on a goal from the goal line. So we’re going to have to be a lot better in our own end tomorrow and moving forward in the series,” Walker said.
Marks stopped 41 of 44 to pick up the win for Thunder Bay, while Vanska faced 37 North Stars shots, saving 33.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Kam River, Kramps 4 (Braham, E. Lang) 15:26. 2. Thunder Bay, Trahiotis 2 (Paddington, Weeks) 19:14. Penalties: Sedgwick KRW (hooking) 0:46, Lachimea TB (slashing) 11:02.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 3. Kam River, Lamoureux 1 (Leduc, Duchesne) 18:50 pp. Penalties: Dunmore KRW (interference) 8:53, Wesley TB (cross checking) 17:12.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 4. Thunder Bay, Weeks 4 (Bertrand) 8:49 pp. 5. Thunder Bay, Lachimea 1 (unassisted) 14:54. 6. Thunder Bay, Weeks 5 (Paddington) 18:32. 7. Kam River, Cook 9 (Lamoureux, Oviedo) 19:53. Penalties: Trahiotis TB (tripping), D. Lang KRW (cross checking) 3:59, Bell KRW (interference) 7:14, Dunmore KRW (interference) 9:19, Campbell TB (roughing after the whistle), Kramps KRW (high sticking double minor) 19:08.
GAME DATA – SOG – Thunder Bay 7-19-11-37, Kam River 22-13-9-44; Power plays (goals-chances) – Thunder Bay (1-4), Kam River (1-2); Goaltenders: Thunder Bay – Keenan Marks, Kam River: Eric Vanska; A: 893.
