Friday's game was another tight contest between the North Stars and Bombers, going right down to the wire as a 3-3 game into the final five minutes of regulation. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Friday night recap

North Stars fall 5-3 in Flin Flon to open rivalry weekend

Feb 17, 2024 | 1:50 AM

The Battlefords North Stars fell 5-3 to the rival Bombers Friday night in Flin Flon, in a fast-paced game to open rivalry weekend.

After Bombers’ forward Carter Anderson opened the scoring just 46 seconds into the contest with his first of two on the night, Jordan Grill countered less than four minutes later with his eighth of the year to make it 1-1.

Bombers’ captain Justin Lies made it 2-1 at the end of the first on his 36th of the year, followed by Anderson’s second of the contest and 35^th of the season in the second, to make it 3-1 Bombers into the final minutes of the middle frame.

Far from out of it however, the North Stars would respond. Brad Blake’s 19^th of the year came with just 4:23 to go in the second, to get the North Stars back to within a single goal, trailing 3-2 into the third.

Midway through the third period, Hunter Burgeson’s 11^th of the campaign then knotted the score for the first time since the opening minute of the first, making it 3-3 on a rebound conversion in front, to make it a new game, late.

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Tied is how the game remained into the final minutes, when the Bombers would catch the bounce of the night to swing the tide in their favour for good.

With the North Stars on a power play late, pushing for the go-ahead goal, Bombers’ defenceman Adam McNutt fired the puck off the stanchion of the glass, taking a wild hop back into the middle of the ice to spring Bombers’ forward Alexi Sylvestre. Cutting in alone on a shorthanded breakaway from center-ice, Sylvestre made no mistake for what would stand as the game-winner, shorthanded.

Flin Flon’s Jacob Vockler added to the lead late, scoring to make it 5-3 Bombers in the final minute of play, to truly put the game out of reach.

North Stars’ goaltender, Matthew MacArthur made 35 saves on 40 Bombers’ shots throughout the night; while Flin Flon’s Harmon Laser-Hume stopped 38-of-40.

Despite the loss, the North Stars remain second overall in the SJHL standings, now with a 32-10-4 record on the season through 46 games, with just 10 to go on their regular season schedule.

The North Stars will get a shot at redemption Saturday night, when they meet the Bombers for night two of the teams’ back-to-back to close out the weekend in Flin Flon. Saturday’s NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Broadcast will be available on 1050 CJNB, with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 7 p.m. and puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

Scoring summary

First period:

0:46 FF Carter Anderson (34) ASST: Noah Houle, Justin Lies 1-0 FF

5:26 BAT Jordan Grill (8) ASST: Brayden Sinclair, Rylan Williams 1-1 Tie

7:08 FF Justin Lies (36) ASST: Carter Anderson, Jerome Gilbert 2-1 FF

Second period:

13:12 FF Carter Anderson (35) ASST: Noah Houle, Alexi Sylvestre (PP) 3-1 FF

15:37 BAT Brad Blake (19) ASST: Kian Bell, Ben Portner 3-2 FF

Third period:

12:50 BAT Hunter Burgeson (11) ASST: Evan Waldie, Gavin Granger 3-3 Tie

15:35 FF Alexi Sylvestre (23) ASST: Adam McNutt (SH) 4-3 FF

19:08 FF Jacob Vockler (20) ASST: Alexi Sylvestre, Riley Niven 5-3 FF

5-3 FF, the Final

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @MartyMartyPxP1