Trailing a series for the first time in the playoffs, the Battlefords North Stars hosted the Flin Flon Bombers for a shot at redemption. A night ago, it was the netminders who stole the show. Tyler Fuhr and Brenden Newton both gave their respective teams a chance at victory, but it was the Bombers who were able to slip by with a final minute effort.
Saturday night the story shifted to the offences. The Bombers found a way to squeak out a win in game two, once again. Brandon Switzer found the back of the net in overtime, giving the Bombers a 2-0 series lead.
In the opening frame, Flin Flon dominated puck possession, getting on the board early and often. Mason Etter corralled the puck at the blue line before floating a shot to the net through traffic. Fresh off his suspension, Brandon Lesko was planted in the slot, tipping the puck into the back of the net and through the five-hole of Tyler Fuhr for his first of the playoffs.
The North Stars answered right away with a big goal from Baxter Kanter. Rory Davidson flied through the neutral zone before battling in the corner with his counterpart. After finding some space, Davidson was able to feed a wide open Kanter in the slot, who one-timed it short side and into the back of the net for his first of the playoffs.
With the momentum swinging, the Battlefords found themselves on a five-on-three power play, but were unable to solve Newton. Levi Kleiboer looked off the defence and made a cross-ice pass to Igor Leonenko, but his one-timer from the right wing was stopped by a sprawling Bombers netminder, keeping the game tied.
It wouldn't stay that way for long.
In transition, Flin Flon went the other way to take a one-goal advantage. On the power play, Curtis Roach corralled a pass on the right wing as the Bombers set up in the offensive zone. Fuhr came out of his net to cut off the angle of a possible shot, in hopes that his defence would be able to tie up a one-timer opportunity. Much to his dismay, Roach was able to find Tyson Empey in the slot, who deflected it into the back of the net for his third of the playoffs.
Empey and the Bombers weren’t done quite yet. Switzer was hauled off to the sin bin for a tripping penalty, handing the North Stars a man advantage. Perennial goal scorer Alex Smith had other ideas. Intercepting a pass, Smith and Empey were headed down the length of the ice on a two-on-one. Kleiboer went down and blocked the initial pass, but Smith corralled the second chance opportunity, finding Empey alone in the slot, picking up his own rebound to bury his second of the game.
It was a period to forget for the Battlefords, who found themselves trailing 3-1, while being outshot 20-10.
The middle frame was a different story.
Coby Downs came back from a dangerous hit and immediately provided some offence. Skating through the neutral zone, Layne Young dropped a pass back to Downs while gaining the blue line. Downs then made an incredible backdoor feed through traffic to find Dustin Gorgi at the left hash marks for an easy tip-in goal. The tally was his second of the postseason, 3-2 Flin Flon.
The North Stars then came roaring back to tie the game and erase the two-goal deficit on the power play that had been in need of a goal. Braydon Buziak corralled a pass from Leonenko on the right wing in the offensive zone. From a tough angle, Buziak rifled a shot far side, just over the pad of Newton, bringing the Battlefords right back in the contest.
“I think it shows we have heart,” Downs said following the loss, “No matter what the score is, we’re going to try and find a way to win. The message was just keep it simple [in the first intermission].”
Flin Flon then answered the bell. Five minutes later, a complete scramble in front of Fuhr somehow found the back of the net on a Bombers man advantage. Roach jammed the puck in at the side of the cage for his first of the playoffs. Empey and Jason Lavallee collaborated on the goal.
The North Stars wouldn’t back down, deadlocking the game at four when Kanter returned the favour to Davidson. Skating through the neutral zone on a two-on-one, Kanter capped off one of his best two-way games of the season by firing a wrister that kicked off the pad of Newton. Davidson broke to the net to pick up the trash, scoring his second goal in as many nights. Logan Nachtegaele drew the second assist.
In the third period the North Stars had a flurry of chances but were unable to capitalize. Fuhr and Newton were equal to the task in a period where one mistake could cost them. This tilt was headed to overtime.
Just 50 seconds into the fourth period, Smith chased the puck around the boards behind Fuhr, throwing it in the slot to Switzer, who deposited the game winner.
“We know we can come back,” Downs said after the game. “They haven’t won the series yet, we know we still have a good chance. We have to play hard. The Whitney is a tough place to play but we can handle it.”
The North Stars now have a steep hill to climb, heading into hostile territory down 0-2. They will have to win in Flin Flon for the first time all year in order to get back into the series. If any team can do it, it’s the regular season SJHL champions.
