The Thunder Bay North Stars goal-scoring woes appear to be behind them.
The Stars scored a whopping 10 goals in the first period at Fort William Gardens, then coasted the rest of the way en route to a 21-2 drubbing of the expansion pay-for-play Iron Range Ironheads.
Quinn Rempel had four goals and Travis Tilley, Spencer Hogan, Sam Dubinsky, Brennen Dubchak, Kyle Lapenskie and Devin Fullum each netted a pair for the North Stars (7-5-3), who pulled out their seventh win in eight games and continued their climb up the Superior International Junior Hockey League standings.
Lapenskie added five helpers for an seven-point night, after recording just three points – and no goals – in six appearances this season.
"It's one for the books, that's for sure," the 20-year-old Terrace Bay native said. "I'm more happy we got the two points and we've got another game tomorrow to do, so we'll see what we can do with that."
The win vaulted the Stars into solo possession of fourth place, two points ahead of idle Dryden and has the confidence at a season-high in the dressing room.
"Yeah, we're on a bit of a roll right now. I just feel like we're all coming together right now. We did some trades and we got a couple of players out and some new guys in, so now it's just getting to know each other and how we play," said Lapenskie, himself an early-season addition, brought back to the SIJHL from a junior squad in Miramichi, N.B.
Thunder Bay coach Todd Howarth, whose team scored 10 goals in the opening period, three in the second and eight more in the third, said his troops weren't piling it on. But neither were they about to stop playing against a team that has scored just 19 times in 10 outings and, Friday's debaucle included, allowed 91 in going 0-10-0 to start their innaugural season.
"We play the same way all the time, if anyone's watched our team. We play four lines which we played all night. You've got to keep playing your guys. They've got to get better too," Howarth said.
Indeed. Of the 17 position players who started the contest, only one, defenceman Tyler Osborne, failed to collect at least a point. Nine of the 17 had three points or more, including a a five-point outing by Rempel and four points by Dubinsky.
The Stars took eight games before recording a a win this season, and while they've been hot of late, thanks in part to a nine-game homestand, not all of Howarth's players were meeting his expectations. He's hoping the lopsided win might have started a trend going forward.
"We've had some bad breaks this season, so I don't mind seeing the puck go in the net for us," he said. "I'm happy for some guys. Some guys are snakebitten, and this might help them a little bit."
The scoring started early and, other than a lacklustre, at times, second period, it never abated.
Rempel started the fireworks just 2:24 into the contest, beating Tusla, Okla. native Colton Ishmael through the five-hole. Four minutes or so later it was Dubinsky who pounded home a loose puck. Fullum made it 3-0 at 10:12 of the first, then , after chasing Stephens in favour of Chris Stokke, the Stars got serious.
Tilley made it 4-0 at 12:33, then in the final 5:25 the Stars got goals from Hogan, Tilley, Matt Kaarela, Bradley Cox and Rempel, outshooting their opponent 26-3 in the opening stanza.
The Ironheads showed signs of life in the second, with Garrett Allen scoring twice on North Stars replacement goalie Carter McEachern, but Rempel won the period for Thunder Bay, netting his third of the night with 1:16 to go.
The third period was all North Stars, with goals from Dubinsky, Lapenskie, Kyle Breukelman, Brandon Wolframe, Matthew Alexander, Rempel and a pair by Brennen Dubchak.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Thunder Bay, Rempel 8 (unassisted) 2:34. 2. Thunder Bay, Dubinsky 5 (Lapenskie, Dubchak) 6:50. 3. Thunder Bay, Fullum 4 (unassisted) 10:12. 4. Thunder Bay, Tilley 6 (Desserre) 12:33. 5. Thunder Bay, Fullum 5 (Wolframe) 14:35. 6. Thunder Bay, Hogan 1 (Breukelman) 16:04. 7. Thunder Bay, Tilley 7 (Wolframe) 16:51, 8. Thunder Bay, Kaarela 7 (Fullum) 17:37. 9. Thunder Bay, Cox 2 (unassisted) 17:49. 10, Thunder Bay, Rempel 9 (Bogacki) 19:33. Penalties: None.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 11. Thunder Bay, Lapenskie 1 (Prout, Breukelman) 10:22. 12. Iron Range, Allen 1 (Alves) 12:17. 13. Thunder Bay, Hogan 2 (Howarth) 12:35. 14. Iron Range, Allen 2 (Botelho, Lahti) 16:08. 15: Thunder Bay, Rempel 10 (unassisted) 18:44. Penalties: Becton IRO (unsportsmanlike conduct) 2:20, Lapenskie TB (tripping) 3:52, Preston IRO (holding) 9:41, Fullum TB (slashing), Botelho IRO (interference) 11:52, Breukelman TB (cross checking) 14:06, Lapenskie TB (tripping) 16:19, Wolframe TB (cross checking) 17:28.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 16. Thunder Bay, Dubinsky 6 (unassisted) 1:36. 17. Thunder Bay, Lapenskie 2 (Kaarela) 3:21. 18. Thunder Bay, Dubchak 6 (Lapenskie, Kaarela) 3:48. 19. Thunder Bay, Breukelman 6 (unassisted) 5:02. 20. Thunder Bay, Dubchak 7 (Dubinsky, Lapenskie) 11:10. 21. Thunder Bay, Wolframe 6 (Rempel, Tilley) 12:49. 22. Thunder Bay, Alexander 2 (Lapenskie) 14:56. 23. Thunder Bay, Rempel 11 (Lapenskie, Dubinsky) 18:26. Penalties: Fullum TB (slashing, unsportsmanlike conduct), Botelho IRO (roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct, misconduct) 0:37. Covell IRO (tripping) 6:02, Dubinsky TB (cross checking) 7:54. Preston IRO (goalie interference) 9:36. Howarth TB (roughing), Wolframe TB (roughing), Botelho IRO (slashing, roughing, misconduct, game misconduct), Alves IRO (roughing) 15:50, Covell IRO (high sticking) 19:36.
GAME DATA -- SOG -- Iron Range 3-8-3-14, Thunder Bay 24-13-27-64; Power plays (goals-chances) - Iron Range (0-5) Thunder Bay (1-9). Goaltenders - Iron Range (Colton Ishamael, nine shots, three saves), Chris Stokke (10:12, first), Thunder Bay: Marc Nother (three shots, three saves), Carter McEachern (0:00 second); A: 200 (estimated).
