The Battlefords North Stars (24-17-6-1) played back-to-back games Tuesday and Wednesday picking up a shootout win and a shutout loss.
Tuesday in Nipawin, Jake Erickson scored the shootout winner to give the North Stars a 3-2 win over the Hawks (28-12-2-4).
The North Stars had plenty of power-play chances in the first, and finally capitalized when captain Michael Statchuk one-timed a puck past Joe O'Brien to give his team the lead at 16:35 of the opening frame.
Battlefords was on a full two-minute 5-on-3 power play after Stefan Wood was called for hooking and the Hawks head coach Doug Johnson was given an additional penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The shots were 12-7 in favour of the North Stars in the opening frame.
The only goal of the second period was scored by the home team, as rookie Garrett Dunlop scored his 16th of the season from Wyatt Hinson and Reece Forman.
The game appeared to be destined for overtime until the final minutes.
Erickson scored with just 2:19 remaining to give the North Stars a late 2-1 lead with Igor Leonenko and Matthew Havens getting the assists.
The Hawks didn't quit, however.
With just 12 seconds remaining in the game, and after Spencer Tremblay had made numerous saves in the North Stars goal, Carter Coben jammed home his 20th goal of the season to tie the game.
Zack Bross and Kris Sprigs were credited with assists on the tying goal.
After a scoreless overtime that saw the Hawks lead in the shot department 4-3, the two teams headed to the shootout.
Tremblay stopped Carter Danczak, Sprigs, Brendan Arnold and Chase Thudium before Erickson slipped a back-hander past O'Brien to give the North Stars the 3-2 win.
Wednesday in Flin Flon was a different story.
The North Stars went 0-for-6 on the power play en route to a 4-0 shutout loss.
Simon Hoffley made 31 saves in goal for the Bombers (25-9-6-6).
It took just 2:07 for the Bombers to get on the board, when Chris Rauckman scored his league-leading 33rd goal of the season on the power play.
The Bombers added a pair of goals in the second as Michael Knaub and Parker Evans-Campbell scored just 22 seconds apart midway through the frame.
The shots were 28-18 in favour of Flin Flon after two periods.
Penalty trouble cost the North Stars again in the third as, with Leonenko in the box for high-sticking, Austin Calladine scored to make it 4-0.
Nick Fountain and Connor Vermeulen were given 10-minute misconducts for roughing less than three minutes apart in the late stages of the third, while Tyler Bell and Brett Kitt were given the same for the Bombers.
Tremblay made 35 saves in the loss.
The North Stars now return home for a few nights before heading back on the road to take on the La Ronge Ice Wolves (15-23-3-4).
