The Christmas break may have came just at the right time for the Battlefords North Stars.
After losing four straight, the North Stars had 12 days between games, some time at home with their families and likely some turkey, and were able to snap that streak after returning to the Civic Centre Tuesday.
"We worked on the fundamentals to get back into it, but the intensity was really high and everyone worked really hard," said forward Kyle Hall after the game. "I think everyone is back and ready to go."
The North Stars hosted the Flin Flon Bombers, who won the last meeting between the two teams by a 9-1 score.
It was a physical game and although there was some rust that needed to be worked off it was an exciting game that came down to a shootout.
After Dillan McCombie and Jay Young both hit the post for Flin Flon in the shootout, Blake Tatchell scored for the North Stars to put them back in first place in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, for the time being.
Tatchell was held off the score sheet in regulation, but the teams leading scorer was their fourth shooter and he beat Devin Buffalo to earn the win.
The game featured counter punch after counter punch, as each time the North Stars took a one-goal lead Flin Flon replied five or six minutes later and tied the game.
Zach MacLellan scored the game's first goal as he followed up on a Tim Rollins rebound and wristed his first of the season by Buffalo. Curtis Toneff also drew an assist on the goal.
Minutes later, Cameron Blair was stopped on a point blank pass across by Graham Hildebrand, but McCombie was there to put the rebound into the open cage to tie the game.
After 20 minutes the teams were tied with the North Stars leading 11-9 in shots.
On a second period power play, the North Stars reclaimed the lead, as Roger Tagoona deflected a Matthew Sheeran point shot for his fifth of the season. Sheeran was playing in his first game with the North Stars and first in the SJHL, as months of rehab and practice following a shoulder injury. Sheeran was finally cleared by his doctor to get back in action and took a spot on the power play most of the night. He also played a regular shift with Dillon Forbes. Jordan Ethier also earned his first point as a North Star, as he set up the play with his speed and found Sheeran at the point.
Flin Flon responded with David Roper scoring from the point on a shot that hit someone in front of Hildebrand and bounced behind him.
With 1:06 left in the second, Woody Klassen fired a point shot with Tanner Schwab in front of the net and it beat Buffalo. Hall and Robbie Newton had the assists on Klassen's ninth of the season.
The North Stars held the lead until Konrad Litke scored from Dylan Balaski and Jesse Mysiorek to tie the game.
Both teams had a few chances to take the lead late in the third period, but nothing was settled and the game went to overtime.
In the extra five-minute period of four-on-four hockey, the North Stars were the better team, as they outplayed the Bombers, but Buffalo kept his team in the game with five saves in overtime.
In the shootout, Klassen, Tagoona and Schwab all missed while Hildebrand and his posts denied McCombie, Dylan Balaski and Young. After Tatchell scored Brandt Weldon was denied and the North Stars improved to 29-9-0-2.
Hildebrand earned his 17 win of the season after making 26 saves, as the North Stars now have two shootout wins against Flin Flon this season.
"It felt great to get the win," said Hall after the game. "We had a little bit of a rough patch there before the break and everyone went home and regrouped and everyone worked hard tonight. That's always good."
Hall and his linemates, Schwab and Brett Miller, were the team's best line Tuesday providing a spark when the team needed it all night. Hall says he was excited to be realigned with those two players.
"We work really good together and it was good playing with Schwab and Miller again. I think we have really good chemistry."
Now with the losing streak in the rearview mirror, the North Stars will prepare for the top team in the Sherwood Conference, the Weyburn Redwings, who will be in the Battlefords Saturday. The North Stars will face the Red Wings without their captain Travis Sparrow, who will still be serving his suspension, and possibly without Braeden Johnson, who was injured in the second period and undressed for the third period after taking a solid hit from Greg Wiwcharuk along the boards.
