A shootout goal from Erik Gardiner of the Prince Albert Mintos ended what was one of the most entertaining games of the season for the Battlefords Stars.
In a tilt that had major playoff implications, the black and white battled for 60 minutes, narrowly losing 5-4. Hypothetically speaking, if the Stars were able to escape with a win, they would have had an opportunity to overtake the Saskatoon Blazers and the Mintos for sixth place in the SMAAAHL.
Now the Battlefords will play the waiting game as they hold onto the seventh spot and a potential matchup against the Moose Jaw Generals.
The black and white got on the board early and often with two unanswered goals. After a pair of breakaway saves from both Lance Alm and Derrick Hucul, Ben Hiltz found the back of the net on the power play. Dawson Bacon and Luke Reid played pitch and catch at the blue line before a one-time shot from Bacon tipped off the stick of Owen Lamb, ringing off the post. The puck fell onto the blade of Hiltz, who made no mistake, depositing his 11th into the back of the net.
In the middle frame the man advantage continued to click. Mason Mullaney corralled a crisp, no-look feed from Jayden Nachtegaele from behind the cage before netting his 11th of the season. Hucul had no chance, who was waiting for Nachtegaele to come around the net for a possible wraparound attempt on the far side.
Leading scorer in the SMAAAHL, Gardiner, and the rest of the Mintos wouldn’t throw in the towel, though, storming back to score two unanswered of their own.
Riley Sawchuk found Gardiner busting down the right wing, who promptly rifled a shot over the glove of Alm and into the back of the net to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Then it was Ty Mosimann throwing a harmless wrist shot on net, bouncing off the pads of the Stars netminder and onto the stick of Cody Chasse. Chasse scored his fifth of the season on the right hash mark.
The Stars later tallied their third power play mark of the game to restore the lead. JC Dubecky corralled the puck on the right wing before saucering a cross-ice pass to Nachtegaele in the offensive zone. Nachtegaele was able to one-time the puck past Hucul for his second point of the tilt and 10th goal of the season.
A tally from Keegan Tiringer brought the Mintos back into the game before the third frame. Chasse snapped a shot to the right of Alm, where Tiringer had planted himself. The forward had an easy tip-in for his eighth of the campaign. The game was deadlocked at three heading into the final 20 minutes.
Hiltz broke the tie with his second of the tilt, using his frame to will himself to the slot from behind the net. A backhand shot slipped through the wickets of Hucul and the Stars had a 4-3 advantage with 15 minutes remaining.
Not to be outdone, Tiringer tallied his second of the game after one of the better offensive defenceman in the league, Jake Hobson, fired a shot into the crest of Alm. As the netminder was trying to clear the puck away from the crease, Tiringer was able to poke it home, sending the game to overtime.
After the extra frame solved nothing, Hucul stood tall against all three shooters he faced in the shootout. Alm was equal to the task for the first two, before Gardiner lost and regained control of the puck, transitioning it onto his forehand to score the game winning goal.
The Stars now have to see where the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. They have an opportunity to finish eighth, which will suit them up against the top team in Regina, or they can play Moose Jaw if they were to finish seventh. It all depends on the outcome from the Beardy’s Blackhawks and the Saskatoon Blazers’ final games. There is also an extreme outside chance the Stars narrowly miss the playoffs. Stay tuned.
