THUNDER BAY -- Brendan Gillis and Jake Robinson were starting to feel a little bit snake-bitten around the net.
Between them, they’d managed just one goal in 25 combined outings for the Thunder Bay North Stars, a team that has plenty of scoring at the top, but in need of secondary goal scorers to keep the pressure off high-scoring forwards like Nicholas Nigro and Brad Arabia.
Gillis, in his second season with the North Stars, scored seven times in 43 games a year ago. The 17-year-old Robinson mustered 10 tallies in his rookie season.
Coach Jeremy Adduono sat the duo down this week and told them the goals will start to come, they just have to stop putting so much pressure on themselves.
The conversation worked, helped out with the addition of rookie Jett Leishman to their line, a move Adduono said he made on a hunch.
The dividends were immediate.
Gillis and Robinson each scored and assisted on the other’s goal on Saturday night, propelling the North Stars to a much-needed 5-1 win over the visiting Minnesota Iron Rangers (2-8-0) at Fort William Gardens.
“Playing with Robinson and Leishman has been pretty good for us because they’re pretty young guys and quick like me,” said Gillis. “We seemed to click and have just been doing really good lately.”
Robinson said he’s played with Gillis long enough to know his tendencies on the ice and the rookie Leishman has been a perfect fit to round out the line.
“We just find a way to grind together and get pucks to the net and it’s worked out pretty good right now,” Robinson said.
Adduono said he knew the goals would eventually start to come.
“Brendan and Jake have had a ton of chances in the last few games … so I had a little chat with them and told them to simplify it a little bit and go to the net,” Adduono said. “And lo and behold both of their goals come from within five feet of the net.
“Usually you get rewarded with hard work and perseverance and full marks to them tonight because we need a little bit more balanced scoring and it’s good to see those guys contribute.”
Robinson started the North Stars offensive push just past the midway point in the first, taking advantage of open ice with both teams down a man, pouncing on a rebound and firing the puck past Iron Rangers goalie Sean Angle for the only goal of the period.
Gillis fired a backhand home 8:54 into the second, again picking up a rebound kicked out by the Minnesota goalie.
Tyler Minoletti made it 3-0 early in the third before Jack Stensgard ruined Nathaniel Dupuis’ shutout bid at the 4:40 mark, the only one of 25 shots that got past the North Stars goalie.
Ryan Walsh pushed the lead back to three midway through the period. Brad Arabia finished off the scoring, taking a cross-crease feed from Troy Sherman, switching to his backhand and depositing the puck into the Iron Rangers net.
Star gazing: The North Stars (10-4-1) have dealt veteran forward Kris Hamlin to the Rayside-Balfour Canadians of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. In return Thunder Bay receives the playing rights to forward Mackenzie MacMillan. MacMillan had 13 goals in 41 games for the Canadians last year and attended the Barrie Colts training camp earlier this year. Hamlin had three goals and six assists in 12 games this season.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Thunder Bay, Robinson 1 (Gillis, Walsh) 12:30. Penalties: Bessey MIN (boarding) 6:28, Mata MIN (slashing) 10:57, Arabia TB (boarding) 12:13, Wesley-Chisel TB (high sticking) 13:53, Meisinger MIN (high sticking) 16:51.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 2. Thunder Bay, Gillis 2 (Robinson, Johnston) 8:54. Penalties: Brennan MIN (cross checking) 0:32, Robinson TB (slashing) 1:57, Bench minor TB (too many men, served by Nigro) 6:58, Thompson MIN (slashing) 8:01, Newhouse TB (spearing double minor), Brennan MIN (roughing) 10:23, Reed MIN (roughing) 15:35.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 3. Thunder Bay, Minoletti 2 (Walsh, Talakoski) 1:22. 4. Minnesota, Stensgard 1 (Froberg, Bessey) 4:40. 5. Thunder Bay, Walsh 3 (Arabia, Thrower) 9:12. 6. Thunder Bay, Arabia (Sherman, Muir) 14:02. Penalties: Leishman TB (slashing) Gillis TB, Robinson TB Bessey MIN, Muzzy MIN (roughing after the whistle) 10:48, Nigro TB, Erwin MIN (roughing) 17:57, Robinson TB (slashing) 19:00.
GAME DATA – SOG – Minnesota 8-11-6-25, Thunder Bay 21-13-11-45; Power plays (goals-chances) – Minnesota (0-6), Thunder Bay (0-5); Goaltenders – Minnesota: Sean Angle, Thunder Bay: Nathaniel Dupuis; A: 200 (estimated).
