The Battlefords North Stars are still alive in the race for the Kramer Division after the Kindersley Klippers lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Humboldt Broncos Tuesday night.
The Klippers' loss puts added importance to the weekend home-and-home series with the North Stars. If Battlefords can win both games in regulation, the North Stars will win the Kramer Division.
North Stars head coach Kevin Hasselberg said recent events have not changed how the team will prepare for the final two games of the regular season. They will use the games to work on their skills for the playoffs.
"Certainly we'll adjust the game plan accordingly, said Hasselberg. "But at the end of the day, we just have two games to prepare us for playoffs. We have a chance to ice our best roster this weekend."
The team is close to being healthy heading into the final weekend of the regular season with only a few nagging injuries bothering players. Hasselberg said the team will not rush anyone back for the games, but if they're healthy they will play.
The North Stars have to win both games in regulation since Kindersley has already clinched the season series. If the teams finish with the same point total, the first tiebreaker in the SJHL is based on head-to-head record. The Klippers are 5-0-1 against the North Stars this season. Battlefords only win was a 5-4 overtime game at home.
Four of the six meetings between the teams were before the North Stars turned their season around. Hasselberg said they are a different team than the one that lost four straight to Kindersley early in the season. They cannot take too much from those games because of the early season struggles.
"We reflect on those [games] based on how it made us stronger," said Hasselberg. "But that team isn't the team we are now. We focus on who we are now and what we do on the ice today. That's how we prepare for our opponents."
The players and staff are excited for the opportunity to control their own destiny in the division race after they worked their way back from a rough start.
"Start of the year, people counted us out with a 4-12 record. Shows what hard work does. Playing for a division title this weekend!" tweeted North Stars forward Blake Young,
If the North Stars fail to win the division, they are still in a tight race for fourth place in the SJHL. They currently sit two points behind the Melville Millionaires, but have a game at hand. The Millionaires hold the tiebreaker after winning the season series 3-0-1. All four games were played before November.
Hasselberg said the team is not worrying about fourth place as it is a situation they do not have control over.
"It's something we tell all our players," said Hasselberg. "If you have no control over it, then don't waste any time or energy thinking about it."
Kindersley is the main focus of the North Stars heading into the weekend as they have control over where they finish in the Kramer.
The North Stars host the first game of the home-and-home series Friday night at the Civic Centre. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. The second half of the series is Saturday night in Kindersley at West Central Events Centre. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m.
