Stars forward Keiton Klein has played some of his best hockey of late, with four goals over his last three games, and seven points over his last six. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

One off Franchise record

Stars open southern swing at Notre Dame, in search of 15th straight

Jan 12, 2023 | 2:00 PM

The Battlefords North Stars embark on a three-games-in-three-nights road swing through southern Saskatchewan Thursday, with their first stop at Notre Dame against the division-rival Hounds.

Were the playoffs to start this weekend, the league-leading North Stars (31-0-2-1) would play the eighth-place Hounds (12-14-2-2) in the first round of the postseason.

The Stars are coming off a weekend sweep of Kindersley, with three straight wins to open the New Year. Entering the road trip red-hot, the Battlefords’ 14 straight wins are one away from equaling the club’s regular season franchise record of 15 straight, set during the ’19-20 season.

The Hounds are coming off a big 6-3 win over Weyburn Tuesday, to snap a two-game slide and regain their footing in the final playoff spot.

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Captain, Jaryd Sych led the way for the Hounds in the effort with three assists, and now with five points in his last two games, leads Notre Dame with 28 points in 30 games this season.

Sych sits just back of Stars’ defenseman, Tynan Ewart (29 points in 33 games) for third in blueline scoring, while the pair also sit 1-2 in points per game at the position (Sych with a 0.93 P/G, Ewart with a 0.88).

Also among the blue liners to watch Thursday night will be recent Stars’ acquisition, Alex Izyk, the team’s lone pickup ahead of the CJHL trade deadline earlier this week.

Stars’ forwards Kian Bell (59 points), Holden Doell (58 points), and Jake Southgate (50 points) remain 1-2-3 in league scoring, as the first three in the SJHL to eclipse the 50-point plateau.

Bell also leads the league with 31 goals in just 31 games and is coming off a dominant weekend performance with three goals and five points in the team’s back-to-back wins over Kindersley.

Doell’s 58 points (18 goals, 40 assists) are just a single back of Bell, with his 2.07 points per game leading all in the Saskatchewan League. Doell is also coming off a five-point weekend (one goal, four assists), riding a 12-point scoring streak into play.

Between the pipes, the North Stars will turn to Josh Kotai to make his second straight start and third in four games to open the New Year. Kotai’s 22-0-2-1 record leads all goaltenders, as do his 1.99 goals against average and .944 save percentage.

Notre Dame is likely to tap Johann Tremblay-Kau to make his third straight start. The 19-year-old stopped 34/37 against Weyburn Tuesday, and 47/53 in the Hounds’ last meeting versus the Stars in early December. With a 3-4-0-1 record this year, Tremblay-Kau has posted a 4.75 goals against average and .869 save percentage.

Thursday’s game will be available on 1050 CJNB. A bit of a later start than usual, the Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 7:30 p.m., with puck drop to follow at 8 p.m. on the NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1