As the 2016 calendar year draws to a close, the Battlefords North Stars can easily stake a claim to being one of the top Junior A teams in the country.
Following a 5-1 road victory over the Melville Millionaires Sunday, the North Stars have a 30-7-0-0 record and have won 22 of their last 24 games.
They now have a 19-point lead over the Humboldt Broncos in the Finning Division standings, and they hold an 11-point cushion over the Estevan Bruins in the race for first place in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League standings.
Their play is also being recognized nationally, as they are currently in ninth place in the recent Canadian Junior Hockey League’s Top 20 rankings that came out Monday.
“Anytime you start fresh with a new team you can come out of the gates strong or you can have some struggles,” North Stars head coach and general manager Nate Bedford said.
“We kind of had a so-so start and we decided to change our game plan a little bit. We had a big 10-3 win over Estevan in October and we just kept on rolling from there.”
Sunday’s game against the Millionaires was settled early as the North Stars scored four goals in the first period.
“Having a little bit of a killer instinct helps with that,” Bedford said. “We’re moving the puck around and waiting for opportunities, which is a good thing.
“Sometimes we end up being a little bit too cute, but tonight we were effective out there and we had different guys getting good looks, which was nice to see.”
Coby Downs led the way on offence with four assists while Layne Young had a goal and two assists.
Ben Allen, Levi Kleiboer and Keaton Holinaty also found the back of the net.
Taryn Kotchorek made 34 saves in the win, with his only blemish coming on a third period highlight reel goal from Mathieu Jallabert.
Brandon Wells turned aside 44 shots for the Millionaires in the loss.
Saturday night saw the North Stars locked in a goaltending duel with the Yorkton Terriers, as Downs’ goal just 91 seconds into the first period was the difference in a 1-0 victory.
Joel Grzybowski earned his SJHL best fourth shutout of the season with a 20-save performance, while Nathan Hargrave turned aside 36 shots to earn the game’s first star honours.
“I thought the goaltending was really good on both sides,” Bedford said.
“Joel was calm right from the get-go and he bounced back after a tough showing Wednesday against Flin Flon, which is what we’re used to out of him.”
Prior to their two-game road trip, the North Stars hosted the Flin Flon Bombers for a pair of contests at the Civic Centre.
After dropping a 4-2 affair Wednesday night, the North Stars rebounded with a 3-2 triumph Friday.
“I thought we played a full three periods,” Bedford said. “They got a couple of goals late, but we were able to keep their shots down.
“We played with intensity and heart, and we never quit.”
Young was the top player on offence with a goal and an assist, while Downs set up goals for his linemates Young and Allen.
“I think the harder that our line works, it allows us to play well as a group,” Downs said.
“We were all pretty motivated after Wednesday night. I feel like we’re a better all-around team than Flin Flon, and it showed.”
Logan Nachtegaele also found the back of the net Friday, while Nick Shulmanski and Troy Williams each scored for the Bombers in the third period.
After jumping out to a 2-0 lead Wednesday, the North Stars could only watch on as the Bombers scored four unanswered goals to pick up a 4-2 win.
“I wish I would have went home after the first period, because it was great for us,” Bedford said. “I felt like if we had gone to an overtime tonight, they would have found a way to score four goals on us.
“I felt like our compete level went down as the game went along. Not only did we not stick to the game plan, but we also shied away from doing anything gritty whatsoever. You’re not going to beat anyone in a seven-game series if you play like that.”
Dondre Watson broke the game open for the Bombers near the midway point of the third period, as he scored twice in a 13-second span.
“I was really excited after giving the guys the lead on that first goal,” Watson said. “I ended up having the puck on my stick right away after the face-off. I just rushed down the wing as fast I could, and I was able to fire it in.”
Nate Hooper and Rylee Zimmer also scored for the Bombers, while Troy Gerein and Connor Logan had the goals for the home team.
The North Stars will be back in action on Friday, Jan. 6 when they’ll head out on the road to face the Bruins.
That will mark that the start of a three game road trip while the Civic Centre hosts the Meridian Canadian Open Grand Slam of Curling event.
They will visit the Weyburn Red Wings on Jan. 7 and the Notre Dame Hounds on Jan. 8, before they host the Red Wings on Jan. 13.
