Last time the Stars and Blazers faced off, Saskatoon made a tremendous comeback in the final frame to edge the black and white, scoring three unanswered. The game left them undefeated for the month of December, winning eight of their last nine.
You could say the Battlefords had a bitter taste in their mouth over the break, hitting the ice for revenge, and getting it, in a come from behind victory of their own.
It was a perfect way to kick off 2016.
Keelan Saworski scored the game winner and Lance Alm had a tremendous game in between the pipes. On Thursday night, the Stars left 2015 in the rearview mirror.
Noah Bankowski gave the Blazers the lead in the second stanza, deflecting a Ashton Heidt shot through traffic and under the pads of a sprawling Alm.
Stars came right back on the power play under a minute later. After Noah Looman went off for boarding it was Dawson Bacon quarterbacking the man advantage, finding Ben Hiltz for a far-side one-time goal, giving him seven on the season.
Jordan Hudson restored the Blazers’ advantage late in the period. After taking a pass from Braden Krzak, Hudson walked around the right faceoff circle and into the slot, releasing a quick shot that beat the netminder short side, just under his glove.
Going against one of the better goalies in the league in Joel Grzybowski, the Stars had some work to do in the third, but they were up for the challenge.
It started with Tanner Brewster. The big forward fanned on a wide open shot from the slot, missing the net, but stuck with the play. Brewster picked his miss up off the boards, delivering a back hand, no-look cross-crease pass to Nayte Zip who stared at a wide open cage, making no mistake in tying the game and scoring his second of the year.
With four minutes left to play and both teams in “win now” mode, Owen Lamb snapped a shot off the pads of Grzybowski, which found the blade of Saworski. Number 24 had the game on his stick and made the most of his opportunity, depositing the puck into the back of the net and giving the Stars a 3-2 lead.
The Blazers had ample opportunities to tie the game up, but Alm was equal to the challenge. His biggest save came in the dying minutes of the final frame. Kyle Bosch poked the puck off Luke Reid in his defensive zone, springing himself for a breakaway and a chance for the equalizer. After transitioning the puck from his backhand to forehand, Alm’s blocker was there to make the save and seal a victory for the Stars.
The rookie netminder kicked away 29 saves on the night.
On deck is a back-to-back series against the Swift Current Legionnaires at the Civic Centre this weekend. The Stars look to build off their hot start and work their way back into the a playoff spot.
