(Davis) Jones has played well, but I think our shooters haven't played well enough," said North Stars coach Kevin Hasselberg, after his team lost 3-2 on home ice to the Nipawin Hawks to fall behind 2-1 in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Bauer Conference semifinal series.
Nipawin drew first blood Monday, as Dustin Skilliter buried a rebound by an outstretched Graham Hildebrand six minutes into the first period.
Mitch Berg got the North Stars on the board later in the first with a point shot. The puck was redirected off a defenceman by Jones, as Klay Kachur and Kyle Hall, who was the North Stars' best player Monday night, drew the assists.
Tanner Schwab drove to the net late in the first period and drew a powerplay, but the North Stars couldn't convert and the first period ended 1-1.
After 20 minutes, the North Stars played solid for parts at the beginning and end of the period and outshot the Hawks 12-7.
The North Stars had a good scoring chance early in the second period, as Woody Klassen tried to set up Braeden Johnson on a shorthanded two-on-one, but couldn't convert. Later in the period, Nipawin capitalized on the powerplay, as Jeff Datoff scored on a point shot that went off the post and in while Hildebrand was screened in front.
Garret Lockeridge scored on a wraparound two minutes later to put the Hawks up 3-1.
Brett Miller responded for the North Stars in the final minute, as Hall put a good forecheck on the Nipawin defender and the puck bounced out to the slot. Miller ripped a shot by Jones' glove and Hall and Klassen had the assists on Miller's second goal of the playoffs.
In the third period there was no scoring, as Jones stood his ground making some incredible saves to secure the win. Robbie Newton and Grant Jensen squared off at centre ice and dropped the gloves in the third period after discussing it for the first two periods. The spirited fight excited the 1,866 fans at the Civic Centre, but couldn't push the North Stars to a victory, despite a good effort from the home side.
"It was good, but we need our effort to be better," said Hasselberg. "I think we have been on and off from the beginning of the series, we haven't had a complete effort from our full roster. We get that effort and we are going to have success."
Jones made 33 saves for the win while Hildebrand stopped 22 shots.
Saturday in Niapwin, those two goaltenders put on a show, as they stopped all 61 shots between the two teams in 60 minutes.
Twenty-two seconds into overtime, Mitch Doell scored for the Hawks and gave them their first win of the best-of-seven series.
Friday, when the series started at the Civic Centre, the North Stars looked to feed off the energy of the 2,150 fans and scored one goal in each period, skating to a 3-1 win.
Blake Tatchell had a three-point night that started when he made a nice move on the outside and cut to the net to put the North Stars up 1-0 in the first period. Travis Sparrow made a beautiful two line pass that sprung Tatchell for the series' first goal.
In the second, Brody Luhning sniped the corner on the powerplay with Jordan Ethier and Tatchell earning the assists.
Dan Szerlip scored for the Hawks to make it a 2-1 game, but Tanner Schwab and Tatchell moved the puck to Miller and he hit the open net to seal the win.
As expected the goaltenders have been the stars of the series, as just 10 goals have been scored in three games. The players know that it isn't a matter of how many goals are scored though, as long as they score one more when the game is over. That was what the North Stars looked to do Tuesday night, as they were on the road for game four in Nipawin.
"We have to stay the course," said Hasselberg of his team's game plan for Tuesday night. "It is not that we are being out played and not that we are getting out chanced. We have to put more urgency into our game and we need players to buy into what it is going to take to beat the Nipawin Hawks. We have a good game plan in place that, when executed, it was bang on and it has given us scoring chances, but at the end of the day you have to put those pucks in the back of the net."
