THUNDER BAY – Brad Arabia might just have saved the Thunder Bay North Stars season.
The hometown hero scored a whopping four goals in the first period and a fifth on a shorthanded breakaway in the third, leading the Stars to a 9-2 win over the visiting English River Miners on Sunday night at Fort William Gardens.
Arabia’s performance, believed to be a league record for goals in a playoff game, included a natural hat trick – all three coming on the power play.
More importantly, it helped the North Stars make a statement, a night after giving up four goals in the final period in a series-opening loss.
Thunder Bay evened the best-of-seven set at a game apiece and takes the momentum of the decisive win into Wednesday’s Game 3 in Red Lake.
“The guys were bugging me, saying my skill is not up to par,” Arabia said of the reception he got from his teammate once the final whistle blew following a rough-and-tumble third as the two teams tried to send a message to one another.
“They were congratulating me. It’s something that doesn’t happen very often and I’m just thankful I have good teammates to carry me along.”
Coach Jeremy Adduono said it’s not too often one sees four goals scored by one player in a single period, let alone in a playoff game.
“Brad’s a natural goal-scorer. Even looking at the whole year for him, he had over 20 goals, but probably could have had over 30, for sure,” Adduono said. “He’s a guy that no matter what happens, he seems to get chances. The puck follows him and fortunately for us tonight he had a hot hand and it made a big difference.”
Getting the win overshadowed any number of goals the 21-year-old Arabia might have scored.
They couldn’t afford another loss on home ice.
“Them taking Game 1, we couldn’t let them take two in a row in our home rink. As long as we kept (the series) 1-1, we know get to go to Red Lake now and hopefully steal two from them and come back here,” Arabia said.
“Game 2 was huge for us and we knew we had to bounce back.”
Arabia’s outing overshadowed teammate Jesse Talakoski's two-goal performance. Troy Sherman and Nicholas Nigro, who added three assists, also scored for Thunder Bay.
At the other end of the rink, Nathaniel Dupuis made 47 stops to keep the Miners at bay most of the night, notwithstanding a giveaway he made trying to clear the puck in the first two minutes of play, putting it on the stick of English River’s Michael Di Lullo, who bounced it off Joe Newhouse into the North Stars net.
Jamie Driedger had the Miners other goal.
Thunder Bay chased English River’s starting netminder Michael Lenko after just 13:23, exiting after Talakoski made it 4-1.
It’s back to work, Adduono said.
“I’m not a huge believer of momentum in a series. In a game, momentum changes. I just told my guys it was nice to win big tonight, but whether you win 9-2 or 2-1 in overtime, it’s still 1-1 and that’s the only thing we’re still concerned about.”
The North Stars were without captain Brett Wolframe (upper body) and forward Tyler Minoletti (eye). Both are day-to-day.
The Stars will play Game 5 at the Gardens on Saturday night.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. English River, Di Lullo 3 (unassisted) 1:36. 2. Thunder Bay Arabia 1 (Robinson) 1:56. 3. Thunder Bay, Arabia 2 (Newhouse) 3:16 pp. 4. Thunder Bay, Arabia 3 (Newhouse, Masters) 6:20 pp. 5. Thunder Bay, Talakoski 1 (Nigro, Thrower) 13:23. 6. Thunder Bay, Arabia 4 (Nigro, Walsh) 15:48 pp. Penalties: Cirone ERM (charging) 2:53, O’Neill ERM (interference) 6:29, O’Neill ERM (boarding) 14:53, Nigro TB (roughing) 18:50.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 7. Thunder Bay, Talakoski 2 (Siau, Masters) 6:14. 8. English River, Driedger (Gladue) 10:06. 9. Thunder Bay, Nigro 2 (Newhouse, Thrower) 16:10 pp. Penalties: Siau TB (interference) 3:26, Wesley-Chisel TB (high sticking double minor) 11:42, Di Lullo FF (charging, roughing), Pereverzof ERM (unsportsmanlike conduct), Walsh TB (roughing) 12:35, Bourk ERM (interference, misconduct, served by Johnson), Pereverzoff ERM, Nigro TB (unsportsmanlike conduct) 18:39.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 10. Thunder Bay, Arabia 5 (Nigro) 3:20 sh. 11, Thunder Bay, Sherman 1 (Siau, Walsh) 8:07. Penalties: Siau TB (high sticking double minor) 0:52, Hintz ERM (goaltender interference) 6:06, Kuhn ERM (interference) 8:54, Muir TB, Schlitt ERM (roughing) Muir (instigating, fighting major, game misconduct), Storm (double minor spearing) 9:41, Walsh TB (roughing, misconduct), Gladue ERM (roughing, misconduct) 10:28, Siau TB, Wesley-Chisel TB, Hintz, Pearce ERM (misconducts) 11:59.
GAME DATA – SOG – English River 14-20-15-49, Thunder Bay 19-10-11-40; Power plays (goals-chances) – English River (0-7), Thunder Bay (4-7); Goaltenders – English River: Michael Lentz (13 shots, nine saves); Spencer Eschyschyn (13:23, first), Thunder Bay: Nathanial Dupuis. A: 500.
