THUNDER BAY – At this point in the Superior International Junior Hockey League season, the Thunder Bay North Stars don’t have a lot left for which to play.
They want to maintain – or improve – their No. 2 Canadian Junior Hockey League ranking. They need a win or so to wrap up first place in the regular season and home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. On an individual level, star forward Keighan Gerrie and defenceman Kyle Auger are chasing down Red Lake’s Bryce Young for the league scoring title.
And captain Ryan Mignault has an outside shot at becoming just the fifth player in SIJHL history to hit the 50-goal mark, needing a dozen in his final 13 games.
Luckily his six-game scoring slump came to an end in a big way on Tuesday night at Fort William Gardens.
“I was kind of stuck at 36 for a while there, so it was nice to get a couple of goals. I think my line was maybe struggling the past few games, but we seemed to click out there tonight, so hopefully we’re just going to keep that going,” said Mignault, who had a pair in a six-goal second period, the North Stars scoring eight unanswered to down the Fort Frances Lakers 8-1.
“Absolutely 50 is the goal. It always has been the goal. I kind of lost a little bit of reach on that, but I’m looking to get that back.”
The Stars veteran forward said it took his team a little while to get going against the visiting Lakers, but once they did, things just seemed to keep going their way.
The Lakers Chase Robideau had the lone goal of the first period, Thunder Bay failing to beat Jacob Gnidziejko on 15 shots.
But Michael Stubbs got the Stars back on even ice 72 seconds into the second and Mignault gave them the lead for good eight minutes later, Thunder Bay scoring five times in a seven-minute span to break open what had been a close contest.
“I think we came out a little bit slow. We weren’t on beat. We came into the room and we talked among ourselves what we needed to do to be better. Starts have been something for us all year and we had to come back in the second hard and we did. We got six quick goals in the second, so it definitely helped out,” Mignault said.
Thunder Bay coach Rob DeGagne said the quick turnaround after Monday’s 7-6 shootout win over Dryden probably cost them in the early going.
“We get off to slow starts, for whatever reason, but once they get their legs and figure out they have to skate and that’s their game, then we’re fine,” DeGagne said.
“When we move and we headman the puck and we break the openings, we’re good. But it’s easier said than done sometimes.”
Jayden Mrakic, Jacob Anttonen and Alexander Erwin also scored for Thunder Bay in the second, which spelled the end for Lakers goalie Jacob Gnidziejko, who left making 33 saves on 39 shots.
Jacob Brown scored a pair of goals in the third for Thunder Bay (38-3-2), batting the puck out of midair to wrap up the scoring, Gerrie drawing an assist to extend his point-scoring streak to nine games and tie Young for the SIJHL point-scoring lead with 82.
Dougie Newhouse, the only goaltender dressed for Thunder Bay, made 20 stops for the win. Matt Booth took over in the third for Fort Frances (16-26-3).
The Stars head to Thief River Falls for games on Friday and Saturday.
Star gazing: The North Stars are on pace to score 376 goals, which would shatter the league record of 353, set by the 2005-06 Fort William North Stars.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Fort Frances, Robideau 7 (unassisted) 3:47. Penalties: Fortin TB (cross checking) 8:23, Drobnick FF (hooking) 15:21, Loveday FF (hooking) 18:04.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 2. Thunder Bay, Stubbs 19 (Gillis) 1:12. 3. Thunder Bay, Mignault 37 (Stubbs) 9:29. 4. Thunder Bay, Mrkacic 7 (Brassard, Anttonen) 10:08. 5. Thunder Bay, Anttonen 13 (A. Erwin, Bryant) 14:02. 6. Thunder Bay, Mignault 38 (Gillis, Halushak) 16:23. 7. Thunder Bay, A. Erwin 19 (B. Erwin, Anttonen) 18:23. Penalties: Fortin TB (holding) 18:51, Bryant TB (cross checking) 20:00.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring:8. Thunder Bay, Brown 17(Willan) 7:21. 9. Thunder Bay, Brown 18 (Willan, Gerrie) 17:30. Penalties: Mrakic TB (slashing) 5:20, Allan FF (roughing) 10:00,
GAME DATA – SOG – Fort Frances 9-5-6-20, Thunder Bay 15-24-19-58; Power plays (goals-chances) – Fort Frances (0-4), Thunder Bay (0-3); Goaltenders – Fort Frances: Jacob Gnidziejko (39 shots, 33 saves), Matt Booth (0:00 third), Thunder Bay: Dougie Newhouse. A: 260.
