Penalties, penalties, penalties.
For two periods it looked like their penalty-killing would be the story of the game for the Battlefords North Stars.
Instead, the penalties kept on coming and the Melville Millionaires finally capitalized in the third period with two power-play goals, coming from behind to sink the North Stars 3-2 Friday night at the North Battleford Civic Centre.
North Stars coach Kevin Hasselberg had no doubt about why they lost this game, and so many others in the early part of the SJHL campaign.
"It's the penalty situation that's been killing the team since the start of the season, and it's going to be addressed very quickly," said Hasselberg.
The penalties started right away in the hockey game as both Kendall Fransoo (hooking) and Ryne Keller (tripping) put the North Stars in an early 5-on-3 hole. Despite that, they were able to come away unscathed in that successful penalty kill in the first period. At the 16:41 mark they capitalized with a power play goal of their own as Igor Leonenko scored from Jake McMillen to make it 1-0.Shots on goal were 12-4 for the North Stars after one.
In the second period Reed Murray tied it up a 1-1 from Michael Knaub and Kelvin Walz early in the frame. But penalties and rough play from both teams was the story of the period.
Fransoo and Colin Mospanchuk of the Mils got roughing penalties at the 7:58 mark. With Mospanchuk taking double minors for roughing for that melee, the North Stars were able to capitalize as Austin Evans netted a power play goal from Reed Delainey and Latrell Charleson.
A major fight erupted at the 9:08 between Brady Constant and the North Stars' Dillon Forbes.Both were penalized but Forbes was tossed out of the game and assessed a five-minute major penalty for landing a blow to the head.
That put the North Stars in another penalty-killing hole for five minutes, but again they came through. The shorthanded situation ended after Ben Mack was penalized for goalie interference on Parker, followed immediately by a fight with Charleson.
Despite all the rough play, the North Stars had looked good through two periods and had a 2-1 lead.
But while the third period was considerably calmer than the second, two penalties in particular killed the North Stars.
The first was a Jake Erickson interference minor at 9:27, which was followed up at 11:03 with Murray's second goal from Walz.
Then Leonenko, who had been the star of the game for the North Stars, was sent to the box for hooking at 12:15. Allan Kilback from Mospanchuk and Alec Brandup netted the game-winner at 12:38.
The Millionaires would hold on for a 3-2 win in front of 610 fans at the Civic Centre.Isaiah Plett got the win in net for Melville.
Despite outshooting the Millionaires 39-26 and despite a solid night in net for Casey Parker, coach Hasselberg felt complacency - and undisciplined play - had set in by the final frame.
"We started thinking we were going to win this hockey game, and the other team thought differently. They came out, forced us to take bad, undisciplined penalties and in the end they take the win 3-2."
After getting their first win against the defending Canalta Cup champions Yorkton Terriers on the road 4-0 two nights earlier, the loss Friday dropped the North Stars down to 1-4 on the young season and 0-2 on home ice. Now they are looking at three weeks away from home ice.
Many of the North Stars were to take part at the SJHL's Showcase tournament in Warman. Then it is a lengthy spell for the North Stars on the road, starting with another trip to Yorkton and Melville. Their next home game is not until Oct. 19 against Kindersley.
Hasselberg pledged changes would be on the way. He said the team would be shortening their roster, getting down to workable numbers and start playing 60 minutes of hockey.
"We're a 1-4 hockey team. That's the fact. We're playing like a 1-4 hockey team and we've got to make changes so that's not the case much longer."
