THUNDER BAY -- The Thunder Bay North Stars needed a wake-up call on Friday night.
It arrived on the stick of Dalton Theisen.
In a battle of first-versus-worst at Fort William Gardens, the last-place Minnesota Iron Rangers (4-16-1) were giving the North Stars (17-5-2) all they could handle, Minnesota's Theisen drawing the two teams back to even ground just 97 seconds into the second period.
The goal did the trick – eventually.
Defenceman Joe Newhouse ripped a shot past Minnesota starter Jackson Nelson at the 8:15 mark of the middle stanza, opening the floodgates, so to speak. The Stars rolled off five straight goals and cruised to a 9-3 triumph, their third straight Superior International Junior Hockey League victory.
Stars forward Brendan Gillis, who scored twice and added a pair of assists, said the rough start was just what the home team needed.
“We basically knew we had to try harder to get it back,” he said, admitting they might have been guilty of taking their sixth-place opponent for granted for much of the first half of the contest.
“That’s what we talked about before the game. We’re the first-place team and everyone wants to beat us. We know we have to treat every team (with respect) and try really hard every game.”
North Stars coach Jeremy Adduono said his players saw what was happening from the bench, but stuck to the game plan.
It just took them a little longer than planned to break free.
“We knew what we had to do to be successful against these guys. We weren’t doing it. Fortunately, when it was 2-2 we put together three or four shifts before we scored when we were starting to get pucks deep, really had some good offensive zone time and started getting some pucks to the net, and eventually some bodies,” Adduono said.
“Once we broke through, they came in bunches.”
It was kind of the story of the game.
Gillis opened the scoring at 10:09 of the first, burying a Jesse Talakoski pass behind Nelson. Fifty-two seconds later the game was tied, Thiesen potting his first of the night, but 11 seconds after that the Stars were back in front, Jake Robinson racing down the ice to score his first of two.
After Newhouse scored, it took the Stars just 50 seconds to double their lead to 4-2, Gillis collecting his second of the game. Robinson would add another and then Brad Arabia tallied, the North Stars taking a 6-2 lead into the third.
Aaron Wesley-Chisel, Troy Sherman, with his fourth in five outings, and Aaron Balcombe added third-period goals, Minnesota’s lone score coming from defenceman Kenny Hasbergan.
Jordan Elliott made 33 saves to pick up the win. Nelson stopped 23 of 28 shots, chased after Robinson’s goal at 13.47 of the second and was credited with the loss, Minnesota's eighth straight.
Sean Angle took over and made 10 saves on 14 shots.
The two teams hook up again on Saturday night. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m.
Star gazing: The North Stars made one move at the Dec. 1 deadline, picking up forward Austin Storm from the Thief River Falls Norskies in return for goaltender Dan Demaria. Shore has three goals and two assists in 13 games. He did not dress on Friday.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: Thunder Bay, Gillis 6 (Talakoski) 10:09. 2. Minnesota, Theisen 2 (Brown) 11:01. 3. Thunder Bay, Robinson 4 (Masters) 11:12. Penalties: Arabia TB (high sticking) 1:57, Yanovsky MIN (hooking) 12:52, Bessey MIN (high sticking) 13:19.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 4. Minnesota, Theisen 3 (Brown, Olschewske) 1:37. 5. Thunder Bay, Newhouse (Arabia) 8:15. 6. Thunder Bay, Gillis 7 (Masters) 9:05. 7. Thunder Bay, Robinson 5 (unassisted) 13:47. 8. Thunder Bay, Arabia (Gillis, Masters) 16:46. Penalties: Wolframe TB (holding) 14:01.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 9. Thunder Bay, Wesley-Chisel (Gillis) 6:34. 10, Minnesota, Hasbargen (Stensgard, Yanovsky) 11:30 pp. 11. Thunder Bay, Sherman 6 (Talakoski, Wesley-Chisel) 14:36. 12. Thunder Bay, Balcombe 1 (Wesley-Chisel, Talakoski) 19:00. Penalties: Johnston TB (tripping) 2:05, Johnston TB, Mata MIN (roughing) 9:23, Nigro TB (slashing) 11:22, Muzzy MIN (slashing) 14:55, Masters TB (tripping) 19:58.
GAME DATA – SOG – Minnesota 15-9-12-36, Thunder Bay 13-14-9-36; Power plays (goals-chances) – Minnesota (1-4), Thunder Bay (0-3); Goaltenders – Minnesota: Jackson Nelson (28 shots, 23 saves), Sean Angle (13:47, second); Thunder Bay: Jordan Elliott; A: 225 (estimated).
