Stars teammates Jake Southgate (#21) and Sam Witt (#7) gather around Zane Florence (#3) following his opening goal Friday night in Nipawin. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

North Stars Rolling

Power play stays hot, as Stars top Hawks for fifth-straight

Nov 20, 2021 | 1:10 AM

The Battlefords North Stars extended their winning streak to five-straight Friday, topping the Nipawin Hawks, 5-2 in Nipawin.

Stars’ forward Holden Doell picked up a goal and an assist in his return to the lineup, while Dylan Esau scored a pair, Zane Florence had three points (1G, 2A) and KT Walters also cashed in for the team.

Holden Doell (#16) celebrates with teammates after scoring a power play marker in his return to the lineup, after missing the last six games due to injury. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Michael Harroch made 33 saves on 35 shots to keep his team in the driver’s seat throughout the night, improving his record to 6-1-1 with the Stars.

Brody Wilson and Jake Smith scored the two Nipawin goals in the loss, while Chase Hamm stopped 21 of 26, before being replaced by Harmon Laser-Hume in the third, who stopped each of the two shots he faced in relief.

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A high-emotion contest with goals, saves, hits and fisticuffs; among the biggest storylines of the night was the Stars’ proficiency on the man-advantage, going 3-for-5 to make the difference on the night.

Florence opened the scoring for the Battlefords, making it 1-0 with his fifth of the season, after receiving a highlight-reel pass by Jake Southgate falling to the ice on a hit.

After Brody Wilson tied the score 1-1 to end the first, the second period is where the Stars really pulled away.

Esau notched his first of the night, and sixth of the campaign deflecting a Jordan Grill shot into the net to reestablish the Battlefords’ lead at 2-1.

A double-minor assessed to Nipawin’s Dawson Brace would then prove to be the ultimate turning point, giving the Stars a four-minute power play on which they capitalized twice.

Doell’s third of the year made it 3-1, just under a minute into the man-advantage, before Walters added one of his own 40 seconds later, to make it 4-1 Stars on back-to-back strikes.

Just 1:28 into the third, Esau all but put the game to bed with his second of the night and seventh of the season, also coming on the power play, to make it 5-1.

With frustration visibly setting in on the Nipawin side, things got especially chippy as the third period went along.

Boiling to a head when Hawks captain Mkyllan Couture and Stars leading scorer Jake Southgate got into a dust-up in front of the Nipawin net, the skirmish resulted in all five players on either side on the ice, in the middle of a scrum that saw helmets, gloves and fists fly.

While each of the pair were given a two-minute roughing penalty and 10-minute misconduct, there were also boarding, spearing, charging and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties assessed in the third, with over 34 minutes in penalties given out in the final period alone.

Stars forward, Matthew Henry and Joel Mabin of the Nipawin Hawks – both pictured here – also dropped the gloves Friday, in what was a physical affair. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Smith’s second goal of the season cut Nipawin’s deficit to three goals late, but that’s as close as the team would come on the night; 5-2 North Stars the final.

With the win, the Stars improve to 15-6-2 on the season, and just two points back of Humboldt for top spot overall, though the Broncos hold one game in-hand.

The North Stars will return to action next Thursday, Nov. 25 against Notre Dame, for the first of what will be three games in three nights on their southern Saskatchewan road swing.

The NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast will be available Thursday on 1050 CJNB. The Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 7:30 p.m., with puck drop at 8 p.m.

Scoring summary

First period:

8:11 BAT Zane Florence (5) ASST: Jake Southgate (13), Holden Doell (13)

16:48 NIP Brody Wilson (5) ASST: Andrew Schaab (10), Joel Mabin (3)

Second period:

2:55 BAT Dylan Esau (6) ASST: Jordan Grill (6), Tynan Ewart (9)

12:31 BAT Holden Doell (3) ASST: Steven Kesslering (12), Zane Florence (6) (PP)

14:11 BAT K.T. Walters (8) ASST: Ryland McNinch (9) (PP)

Third period:

1:28 BAT Dylan Esau (7) ASST: Sam Witt (7), Zane Florence (7)

8:50 NIP Jake Smith (2) ASST: Dawson Brace (2), Andrew Schaab (11)

5-2 Hawks, the final.

—

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1