Over the last couple of years, the Battlefords North Stars have handed teams in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League some lopsided losses at the Civic Centre.
On Saturday night, they found themselves on the wrong side of one of those affairs.
In the second game of a semifinal series, the Estevan Bruins scored four times in the first period and never looked back as they took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven affair thanks to a dominating 7-2 performance.
“We were trying to do too much by ourselves out there and we panicked,” North Stars head coach and general manager Brandon Heck said. “I’m sure x’s and o’s played a part in it as well, but it was a bad start as a whole and we never recovered.
“The guys know what happened tonight and I’m hoping the message that they take from this is that it’s a wake-up call as we head to Estevan for the next two games. They need to buy in for how we want them to play.”
The loss was the worst that the North Stars have suffered since a 7-1 setback in Edam against the La Ronge Ice Wolves in January 2016 and it was their most lopsided playoff defeat since they dropped a 9-0 decision to the Kindersley Klippers in game one of the 2015 quarter-finals.
Although the Bruins didn’t quite reach the eight-goal mark they had against the North Stars in a wild 8-6 affair at the Civic Centre in November 2016, they became the first team to put four goals into the North Stars net over the course of 20 minutes since they scored a quartet of unanswered goals during the third period of that regular season triumph.
Saturday’s seven-goal showing was also the most the Bruins have scored in a post-season game since a 9-2 win over the Yorkton Terriers in game three of the first round of the 2008 playoffs.
“We’re doing all the little things right at the moment,” Bruins forward Tanner Manz said.
“We’re putting pucks in deep, pushing hard with our forecheck, creating turnovers and getting shots on net. We’ve also had [goaltender] Bo [Didur] playing huge for us at the other end of the ice and that’s helped us out a lot.”
The Bruins dominated the opening frame with a 16-6 advantage in the shot department, which included Manz finding the back of the net on the first shot of the night just 18 seconds into the game.
Another goal by Manz and one from Arthur Miller would spell the end of the night for North Stars goaltender Taryn Kotchorek, as he gave up three goals on eight shots in 11 minutes of work as he made his first start of the playoffs.
“We had to try and change something up at that point to get a spark going,” Heck said.
Joel Grzybowski took over in between the pipes but the Bruins would extend their lead to 4-0 as Kaelan Holt scored on a goalmouth scramble at the 16:56 mark.
Layne Young would blast home a shot for the North Stars on the power play late in the opening frame, but the damage has already been done by that point.
“After we got the first two goals, we really put them on their heels,” Manz said.
“We just kept putting the pressure on them and we kept pulling ahead. It was pretty awesome to see us playing as well as we did tonight.”
Manz turned in his best performance in a Bruins uniform Saturday as the rookie forward got his first career SJHL hat trick to help his team improve to 6-0 in the playoffs.
His linemate Jayden Davis, who was a teammate with Manz for two seasons with the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League’s Moose Jaw Generals, also had a career night with a four-assist outing.
“Both guys are gritty and they play fast, which is a good mix when you get to the playoffs,” Bruins head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood said of the duo, who are joined on their line by another former Generals player in Tanner’s twin brother Tyson.
“With their speed, they can generate a lot of offence and they found a way to do that tonight. What impressed me the most though was that they were able to do that while going up against different lines.”
Miller scored twice for the Bruins, who also received goals from Michael McChesney and Kaelan Holt.
Didur turned aside 27 shots in the win, with his only blemishes coming on Young’s first period marker and a power play goal by Parker Smyth in the final frame.
At the other end of the rink, Grzybowski made 22 saves in nearly 49 minutes of relief work
To make matters worse for the North Stars, they lost the services of blueliner Levi Kleiboer late in the third period with an apparent left leg injury after he made a hit on a Bruins forward.
“I haven’t had a chance to see him yet, so at this point it’s too early to say how bad it is,” Heck said following the game.
The North Stars will head out on the road Sunday ahead of the third game of the semifinal, which will be held in Estevan Monday night.
Game four of the series will take place at Affinity Place Tuesday, while a fifth game would be held at the Civic Centre Thursday if the North Stars can win one of the two road games.
Meanwhile, the Nipawin Hawks also moved out in front 2-0 in their best-of-seven semifinal affair as they topped the Humboldt Broncos in a 5-3 contest at the Centennial Arena.
Forwards Brett Harasymuk and Grant Baetsen had a goal and two assists each for the Hawks to lead the way on offence.
The hosts also got goals from Tyler Adams, Logan Casavant and Brandan Arnold, while goaltender Declan Hobbs made 20 saves.
Conner Lukan, Jaxon Joseph and Bryce Fiske had a goal and an assist each for the Broncos in the loss.
Parker Tobin got the start in between the pipes for the visitors, but his night came to an end after he allowed three goals on 11 shots in the first 17 minutes.
Rookie Jacob Wassermann finished out the game and made 18 saves in a relief role.
That series will resume Tuesday night at the Elgar Petersen Arena in Humboldt.
