"We had a four game win streak coming in and we had a chance to prove that we haven't played our best up to this point," said Connor Creech after the Battlefords North Stars beat the Flin Flon Bombers for the first time this season.
Creech made 34 saves for his 12th win of the season, as the North Stars edged the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's top team Tuesday night 2-1.
The North Stars came out of the gate strong. They started with a different look to the lineup, as veteran defenceman Brody Luhning was moved up to forward for the first period and on the top line with Kyle Hall and Braeden Johnson. Other forwards and defenceman Keenan Martens also saw time playing alongside the two veteran forwards.
Joren Johnson, the newly acquired defenceman was in the lineup for the first time. The North Stars dressed seven defenceman and 11 forwards.
The North Stars drew first blood when Josh Betinol received the puck from Brandon Long in the neutral zone. Betinol entered the Flin Flon zone with speed and fed the puck to Jake McMillen in the middle of the ice. McMillen beat Flin Flon's Devin Buffalo glove side. McMillen's seventh of the season made it 1-1.
Later in the first period, the North Stars had their first and only power play of the game. They had nearly two minutes of sustained pressure, but they couldn't beat Buffalo.
Flin Flon rallied with the penalty kill and tied the game later in the first period. Landon Heibert deflected a point shot by Creech, who didn't have much of a chance to react with Heibert so close.
The first period ended 1-1 and in the second Flin Flon looked to take the lead, but Creech stood tall. The Bombers had two power plays in the second period and controlled the play, but the North Stars did an excellent job of keeping the shots from the outside and blocking shots.
"Guys were there, boxing them out, letting me see shots, in the shooting lane," said Creech acknowledging the play of his team in front of him. "When I didn't control rebounds guys were there 100 per cent clearing stuff out and not letting guys get second chances."
The North Stars survived the second period and did create a great scoring chance themselves, as Ben Greenaway took a cross-crease pass from Robbie Newton but was robbed by the right pad of Buffalo.
In the third period the physical play continued and it was one of the North Stars' more physical players, who picked a prefect time to score his first goal of the season.
Ryne Keller dumped the puck in behind the Bombers' goal-line and beat the defenceman to the puck. He circled behind the net and found Dillon Forbes coming in from the point. Forbes made a nice move, deked to his backhand and beat Buffalo. Forbes' first goal of the season, the game-winning goal, was assisted by Keller and Greenaway.
The North Stars had a more chances to increase their lead, but they were able to lock things down defensively and earn the 2-1 victory.
The win puts the North Stars at 13-11-0-0 on the season and three points behind Nipawin for third spot in the Bauer Conference.
"It gets the moral up," said Creech of the team's five-gaming winning streak, which included wins over Notre Dame, La Ronge, Humboldt, Nipawin and Flin Flon. "It was tough going there - win one, lose one - now we kind of are in a grove and guys are excited coming to the rink and have positive anticipation."
The North Stars will look to continue their winning ways with games in Yorkton Thursday and Melville Friday.
