By Craig Beauchemin

Big third period gives North Stars 2-0 series lead over Kindersley

Mar 20, 2016 | 12:03 PM

It looked like the series between the Battlefords North Stars and the Kindersley Klippers would be tied after 40 minutes in game two.

The North Stars found themselves shorthanded for four of the first six minutes of the game, allowing the Klippers to generate quality scoring chances.

It wasn’t until late in the period that Kindersley was able to get on the board. Austin Calladine snuck behind the North Stars defence after two Battlefords players checked the same Kindersley player, and Calladine fired a wrist shot over the glove of Tyler Fuhr to give the Klippers the 1-0 lead heading into the second period.

Early in the second period the North Stars tied the game on a similar play. North Stars captain Kendall Fransoo was at his own blue line and spotted Coby Downs at the Klippers blue line. Fransoo sent the stretch pass there, and Downs came in on a breakaway, beating Nathan Hargrave glove side to tie the game just 2:23 into the second period.

The lead didn’t last long though. A minute and a half later Cody Young snapped a shot past Fuhr’s blocker while coming down the left wing to restore the Klippers’ lead.

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Physicality was on display all night, but it all came to a head with three and a half minutes left in the second period. As the players were getting set for a face-off in the North Stars zone, Calladine began pushing Fransoo which resulted in almost every player coming together on the ice.

Baxter Kanter and Dexter Bricker paired off, with Kanter throwing a beat down on Bricker in the far corner of the North Stars end. Once that fight concluded, Calladine pushed over Fuhr, which didn’t sit well with Fransoo. The North Stars captain immediately threw his gloves down and started punching Calladine, who dropped to his knees and covered his head.

In the end, Kanter was thrown out of the game for fighting, Bricker four minutes for roughing and Fransoo and Calladine were given 10-minute misconducts with Calladine getting an extra two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.

When the dust had settled, the North Stars had bigger problems as they were trailing 2-1 heading into the final period.

The North Stars power play struggled in game one finishing 0-for-9, but finally got on the board in the third period.
Just 10 seconds after a face-off in the Klippers zone, Connor Sych teed up a one timer that got through all the traffic in front of the net and beat a screened Hargrave to tie the game.

The North Stars were clearly feeling the momentum shift, as just 17 seconds later they scored again. Downs had the puck in the far corner, before rolling off the defender covering him and cutting to the net. He tried to cut through the crease but Hargrave poked the puck away. The puck hit Downs’ skate and came right back to him, and he was able to tuck it past the left leg of Hargrave to make it 3-2.

Exactly three minutes later the North Stars to seal the win when Sych and Leonenko rushed up the ice 2-on-1. Sych carried the puck down the left wing before centring it for Leonenko who quickly fired it past an outstretched Hargrave for his first of the playoffs to make it 4-2.

Just over a minute later the Klppers made it interesting as they scored on a 5-on-3 power play to cut the deficit to 4-3. Cody Young scored his second of the game.

The North Stars would ice the game however, as Bryce Hall stole the puck in the neutral zone while Hargrave was headed to the bench for the extra attacker. Hargrave was half way to the bench when Hall stole the puck, and was unable to get back in time as Hall fired home his first of the playoffs to finish off the scoring.

The North Stars now have two days off before game three goes at the Civic Centre Tuesday night. The North Stars will look to take a commanding 3-0 series lead before the series shifts back to Kindersley on Thursday.

cjnbsports@jpbg.ca
On Twitter: @craig_beauch