THUNDER BAY – North Stars captain Ryan Mignault on Saturday night showed what it means to be a leader.
The veteran forward scored twice and added a pair of assists to help the Stars snap a rare two-game losing streak, his four-point effort the key factor in his team’s 6-3 road win over the Red Lake Miners.
Mignault, who leads the Stars with 27 goal, score the first and final goal of Thunder Bay’s four-goal third, scoring into the open net with 30 seconds to go to put the game away.
Defenceman Kyle Auger had a goal and two assists for Thunder Bay, giving him 10 goals and 45 points on the season.
Brendan Gillis scored the winner, beating Red Lake goaltender Vince Benedetto with 6:39 to go in regulation, snapping a 3-3 tie.
Red Lake (20-9-1) got a pair of goals from Bryce Young, the league’s leading scorer, giving him 35. Keegan Tiringer also scored for the second-place Miners and slipped five points behind the front-running Stars.
Maxime Fortin and Alex Erwin also had goals for Thunder Bay, who trailed 1-0 after one.
Brock Aiken made 19 saves to pick up the win. The North Stars fired 33 shots at Benedetto.
Next up at home for Thunder Bay (22-2-2) is a Sunday matinee against Dryden. They return to Fort William Gardens for a pair of home dates next Friday and Saturday against the Thief River Falls Norskies.
