THUNDER BAY – The Thunder Bay North Stars are streaking toward the playoffs with second place on their minds.
The Superior International Junior Hockey League team crept a couple points closer to their goal on Tuesday night, overpowering the Fort Frances Lakers with a 50-shot attack – though it took until a third of the way through the final period to finally get on the board.
Avery Siau finally snapped the scoreless tie with the Stars a man short, picking Hunter Buzzi’s pocket and then making a series of moves that caught Lakers goalie Ismael Ralsten going the wrong way, the game’s first tally coming at the 6:50 mark.
Ryan Mignault added the Stars second goal just before the two teams hit the midway mark of the third and Alexander finished things off, stealing the puck and casually depositing into the empty Fort Frances net to cap the 3-0 triumph.
Siau, whose tally gave him 22 on the season, said the backhand goal was a long time coming, but he said he and his teammates weren’t thinking about the game-long drought or concerned about making a mistake that that might cost them the game at the other end of the Fort William Gardens rink.
“You can’t think that way. You’ve always got to think positive and eventually one of them is going to go in, right, when you’ve got 50 shots on net,” Siau said.
One thing he is thinking about his how close the team is to second place Thief River Falls, a team that could do no wrong in the season’s early going, once ranked the top team in the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
With six games to play the streaking Stars (33-12-5), winners of eight of their past 11 games, are four points behind the Norskies (36-9-3), who have played two fewer games.
“We’re completely aware of it. We just have to win out here and hope for the best. Hopefully we come in second and get a bye. That’s all we can do,” Siau said.
Coach Rob DeGagne said he’s stressing the standings to the team in the dressing room, giving them something to strive for down the stretch.
“That’s sort of a goal for us. If we can get to second place, that puts us in a nice position. We’d stay at home for the playoffs until the finals and it gives us maybe a week or so of rest. It gives us home-ice advantage, which is huge, because we play really well at home,” DeGagne said.
“It’s always nice to go in with a run at the end of the year into the playoffs. Whether we end up in second or third, we’ll end up on a good run.”
Though he wasn’t tested much, goaltender Dougie Newhouse stopped all 14 shots he faced – just seven over the final 40 minutes – to earn the shutout, his first of the season.
“When he was tested, he looked sharp, and that’s important,” said DeGagne, with the enviable dilemma of whether to start Newhouse or Brandon Bodnar, who leads the SIJHL with six shutouts, from night to night.
The North Stars are off until next Thursday, when they take on English River on the road on back-to-back nights. Their next home game is March 14 against Fort Frances (15-29-6).
Star gazing: The North Stars games against the Thief River Falls Norskies on March 16 and the Minnesota Iron Rangers on March 17 will be played at Norwest Arena instead of Fort William Gardens.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: None. Penalties: C. Bodnar FF (hooking) 16:48.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: None. Penalties: Ward FF (slashing), Siau TB (hooking) 0:40, Auger TB (cross checking) 4:44.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Thunder Bay, Siau 22 (unassisted) 6:50 sh. 2. Thunder Bay, Mignault 21 (Auger) 9:36. 3. Thunder Bay, Erwin 9 (unassisted) 19:56 en. Penalties: Gillis TB (slashing) 6:34, Ness FF (hooking) 7:28, Wilkie FF (holding) 17:08.
GAME DATA – SOG – Fort Frances 10-4-3-17, Thunder Bay 20-13-17-50; Power plays (goals-chances) – Fort Frances (0-2), Thunder Bay (0-3); Goaltenders – Fort Frances: Ismael Ralsten, Thunder Bay: Dougie Newhouse; A: 260.
