The Battlefords North Stars are facing some adversity for the first time this season.
Mainly, the trouble came from Weyburn Red Wings goaltender Jack Burgart, who stood on his head to rob the North Stars in 3-1 and 3-2 shootout decisions Friday and Saturday at home in North Battleford.
Facing 79 shots from the North Stars in the two games, Burgart stopped 76 of them for the wins.
That means the North Stars had now lost five of six games, including the meeting with Weyburn on the road the week before. After a big month of October, November was not off to a good start for the club and coach Kevin Hasselberg was left searching for answers.
"I felt our team has played very well. I think we've controlled the puck and dominated the possession time," said Hasselberg.
"But when you have a world class goaltender like they have in Jack Burgart, you've got to be sharp and you've got to get dirty, and they got the best of us in these three games. But we'll find a way to win and we'll be better the next time we play them."
To turn it around, Hasselberg pledged to "stay with the process."
"We need to work a little bit harder in certain situations and that's what we're learning," the coach said. "We've got to stay focused on the process, we've got to get better at the small details of the game that make a difference against that hockey team."
Weyburn 3 North Stars 1
Some payback was on the minds of the Battlefords North Stars against Weyburn Red Wings at the Civic Centre on Thursday and Friday night.
The North Stars lost in Weyburn 5-3 one week earlier, so they were looking for a different result in the battle of division leading teams. But the game got off to a bad start for the North Stars.
Just 56 seconds into the contest, Coby Downs took a penalty for taking down Jayden Syrota.
At the 1:44 mark Braden Mellon scored on the power play, and just like that it was 1-0, Weyburn. Aiden Teilborg and Jeremy Lagler got assists.
But things turned around as the period wore on. The North Stars out shot Weyburn as the period unfolded, and then at 2:28 Rylan Freed scored unassisted to tie the game at 1-1. That was the score through one. Shots on goal favoured Battlefords 21-9.
In the second the Stars continued to outshoot the Red Wings, but despite a 23-11 shots advantage, the Wings took the lead as Ian Parker scored from Tucker Neuberger and Connor Burk at 3:36.
At the 9:02 mark the period was livened up by Baxter Kanter and Ian Parker engaging in a scrap that landed them with fighting penalties.
Jordan Wiest had a great chance to score on Jack Burgart, who stood on his head to keep the puck from going in. It turned out to be a frustrating period for the North Stars as one shot after another was stopped or missed the net.
Shots through two were 30-19 North Stars, with Weyburn coming out ahead on shots in the second 10-9.
In the third, Weyburn seemed to pick up their play and even hit the post around the eight-minute mark. The North Stars also had a great opportunity with about 7:33 to go in the third. The puck made it to the crease and Burgart seemed to lose track of. But somehow the puck stayed out of the net.
The dagger was finally delivered with 2:28 left as Chris Van Os-Shaw scored unassisted, getting his own rebound and putting it into the net past Rewerts.
A 39-save night by Burgart proved the difference as the Red Wings beat the North Stars again, 3-1. Rewerts stopped 29 of 32 in defeat.
Weyburn 3 North Stars 2 (Shootout)
The North Stars were looking to bounce back the following night at the Civic Centre, with Taryn Kotchorek getting the call in net for the game.
At the 9:24 mark Igor Leonenko got the first goal of the game and 11th of the season, and that caused toques and mittens to rain down to the ice as part of the Share the Warmth Toque and Mitten Toss promotion.
But the momentum was short lived as Cole Woodliffe's first career SJHL goal from Tyran Brown and Evan Cusmano tied it up at the 10:33 mark.
Another great breakaway chance by Van Os-Shaw was stopped by Kotchorek later in the period to keep the game tied.
The second period was scoreless, though the North Stars picked up their play considerably and out shot Weyburn 15-8. But Burgart and Kotchorek continued to keep the pucks out.
In the third Reed Delainey was assessed a four-minute high sticking penalty, putting the North Stars on a power play hole.
But Jordan Townsend almost got a shorthanded goal moments later, only to be robbed by Burgart. After the power play ended, a shot by Teilborg beat Rewerts but hit the crossbar and stayed out.
The North Stars got back on the man advantage when Van Os-Shaw took a tripping penalty, but that opportunity fizzled out as well.
With 4:47 left, the North Stars were back on the power play yet again with Teilborg in the box for holding. Finally Jake McMillen put it past Burgart to give the North Stars the lead with just over three minutes left.
For McMillen it was his 14th of the season. Leonenko and Layne Young got the assists. But it was not over.
The Red Wings pulled their netminder late in the game as they swarmed around Kotchorek. Finally Drake Glover put it home with 1:28 remaining to tie the game at 2-2, and that would be the score at the end of regulation time.
Despite chances, overtime settled nothing. Final shots on goal favored the North Stars 39-30 -- almost the same as the previous evening.
The shootout session ended quickly, and Burgart proved the difference. He stopped both shots from Jordan Wiest and Jake McMillen.
Kotchorek, however, couldn't stop either Carson Rose or Drake The final score was 3-2 for Weyburn.
The North Stars did gain one point in the overall standings for going to a shootout, but it was a stinging two games. Still, they continue to hold a comfortable lead over Notre Dame for first in the Finning Division with 14 wins, five losses and two shootout losses, good for 30 points.
They try again to get back on a winning track against the defending league champions Melfort Tuesday night at the Civic Centre.
