Pictured here: North Stars forward, Dace Prymak and Connor McGrath of the Broncos faceoff this season. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Measuring Stick Game

Stars head to Humboldt for battle of league’s elite before holidays

Dec 18, 2021 | 4:12 PM

With the faint sound of jingle bells chiming in the distance, the Battlefords North Stars will play their final game ahead of the Christmas holidays Saturday night in Humboldt.

Team outlook

Taking on the division and league leading Humboldt Broncos (26-8-0), the game will mark a true heavyweight tilt, as the Stars (19-8-5) sit just back of Humboldt in second of the division and third overall this season.

Humboldt are fresh off a 5-3 win over Notre Dame last night, and enter Saturday’s contest in search of their fifth-straight. The Stars are coming off a 3-1 win over Kindersley in dominant fashion, looking to claim their third straight win heading into the break.

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Steven Kesslering, who sits third in Stars scoring with 28 points, scored his second in as many games Friday, giving him 14 on the season to pull him into a tie atop the team leaderboard in goals with Jake Southgate.

Southgate’s line alongside centeman, Holden Doell and captain, Ryland McNinch is also noticeably hot heading into play, as both Doell (22 points) and McNinch (24 points) also scored a night ago.

At the other end, Humboldt hold not only the league’s top record, but the top scorer as well. Eighteen-year-old, Connor McGrath leads all players this year with 51 points in just 34 games.

Playing his best hockey of late, McGrath has seven goals over his last six games, and 16 points over his current nine-game scoring streak.

All total, the Broncos have four players in the top 10 league scorers, as Alec Saretzky (42 points), Matthew Perkins (41), and Braiden Koran (35) each make the bill.

Special teams

Two of the top power plays in the league, the North Stars do hold a slight edge, with the second-ranked power play, clicking at 24 percent through the first half of the year.

Humboldt sit just back at 20 percent, though do hold a distinct advantage on the penalty kill, at just under 89 percent (2^nd), to the Stars’ 78 percent (8^th).

Goaltending

As explosive as both teams are offensively, perhaps the best matchup of the night comes between the pipes. Both Stars’ goaltender, Michael Harroch and Humboldt’s Race Ramsay sit amongst the league’s elite in each of the major goaltending stat categories.

Harroch is 10-2-3 this season for the Stars, with a 2.47 goals-against average (5^th overall) and .931 save percentage (2^nd). Ramsay is 24-6-0, with a 2.16 GAA (3^rd) and .927 sv% (3^rd).

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

North Stars Lineup

Forwards:

M. Henry, D. Esau, S. Kesslering

J. Southgate, H. Doell, R. McNinch

E. Scriven, B. Blake, K. Klein

Z. Florence, D. Prymak, T. Bahm

Defencemen:

E. Rask, R. Little

S. Witt, T. Gold

T. Ewart, J. Grill

Goaltenders:

M. Harroch

L. Kenyon

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1