Stars top Klippers 4-1 to open weekend series

Florence’s 15^ththen made it 2-0 Stars, in his first game back after missing the last pair due to illness. Coming on a slick pass out front from Ethan Scriven, Florence’s insurance marker came off the back of strong offensive zone pressure established through the forecheck.

Both goalies made arguably their best saves of the night in the opening frame as well. Schwab robbed Klippers’ forward Michael Mazzocchi on a shorthanded breakaway with the cuff of his glove to keep his team up by a pair, before Kindersley’s Matthew Pesenti also made a 10-bell save of his own.

After Klein chipped the puck out of the defensive zone past the pinching Klippers blue liner, he then feed Southgate on a give-and-go play on the two-on-one down ice, deflecting Southgate’s return feed at the lip of the goal, only to be stonewalled on the doorstep by a sprawling Pesenti, who made the pad stop to keep his team in the game.

Aiden Bangs scored the lone goal of the night for the Klippers in the second period, to cut his team’s deficit to 2-1 at the end of 40 minutes.

However, any hope of a comeback was quickness snuffed out, when Esau made it 3-1 on a wrister from the high slot for his 20^th, set up by linemates Steven Kesslering and Emmett Wurst.

Southgate bookended the night’s scoring with the empty-netter for his second of the game and 22nd of the year, on a pass from Kesslering on a two-on-one with the Kindersley net empty, to make it 4-1 Stars the final.

With the win, the North Stars improve to 32-15-6 on the year, giving them 70 points to now sit fourth overall. The Stars leapfrogged Flin Flon, who lost to La Ronge 4-1, while still remaining a single point back of Melfort who beat Nipawin 3-0, though the Stars do still hold a pair of games in-hand on the Mustangs.

Kindersley’s loss marked the team’s fourth straight. With a 23-30-2 record, the Klippers now sit five points back of Notre Dame for the eighth and final playoff spot with just three games remaining, while the Hounds hold two games in-hand.

With one more loss, or a single Hounds win, Kindersley will be officially eliminated from playoff contention.

The North Stars will now host Kindersley Saturday night to close out their home-and-home with the Klippers at the Access Communications Centre in North Battleford.

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

Scoring summary

First period:

1:57 BAT Jake Southgate (21) ASST: Bradley Blake (10), Keiton Klein (16)

8:16 BAT Zane Florence (15) ASST: Ethan Scriven (12), Ty Bahm (5)

Second period:

9:32 KIN Aiden Bangs (10) ASST: Coletyn Boyarski (5)

Third period:

5:13 BAT Dylan Esau (20) ASST: Steven Kesslering (20), Emmett Wurst (8)

16:41 BAT Jake Southgate (22) ASST: Steven Kesslering (21), Austin Schwab (1)

4-1 North Stars, the final

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1

by Martin Martinson

Stars top Klippers 4-1 to open weekend series

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