It has been a dismal last couple of games for the Battlefords North Stars.
Not only did they lose 4-0 Wednesday to the Flin Flon Bombers, but they had to board the bus again Saturday for another punishing road trip up north to face the La Ronge Ice Wolves.
Unfortunately it ended in a second straight loss, 4-3 — a major setback to the North Stars’ hopes of avoiding a first-round survivor series match up. The team is seeded seventh in the overall standings at the moment, seven points behind Notre Dame with only seven games left on the schedule.
But it was a much needed win for a La Ronge team that probably had more on the line than the North Stars. The Ice Wolves are fighting for their playoff lives, currently four points behind Weyburn in the race for the final spot.
The game at Mel Hegland Arena got off to a slow start for the North Stars, as the Ice Wolves got the only goal in the first. Bryce Fiske, with the assist from Zackary Klebaum made it 1-0 at the 17:46 mark.
The second period saw a fight erupt between the Stars' Otto Mitchell and Zach Nedelec of the Ice Wolves, with both getting major fighting and game misconduct penalties.
Toby Shattler made it 2-0 in the second for La Ronge, but the North Stars' Bryce Hall cut the margin to 2-1 at the 12:55 mark.
But markers by Matthew Painchaud and Kyle Campbell made it 4-1 after two, an almost insurmountable margin for the North Stars to come back from.
The 4th La Ronge goal was enough for coach Kevin Hasselberg to pull Spencer Tremblay from the net in favour of Ryan Rewerts for the rest of the game.
The North Stars did mount a comeback of sorts in the third. Baxter Kanter, at the two-minute mark, and Hall again on the power play at 8:21 from Brenden Heinrich and Matt Havens, cut the margin to one.
But that would be all she wrote on the night. A charging penalty to Kanter and a high sticking call against Nick Fountain pretty much ended any comeback hopes in the third.
Final shots on goal favoured the North Stars 46-34 but Kris Joyce stopped 43 shots to earn the win for the Ice Wolves.
The North Stars remain mired in third place in the Kramer Division, at 24-18-6-1 for 55 points, as they await Notre Dame on Thursday night for what will be a critical match up if the North Stars have any hopes of a higher finish in the standings.
