By Roger White

North Stars look to continue dominance over Ice Wolves

Dec 8, 2017 | 12:00 PM

On paper, this weekend’s back-to-back showdown with the La Ronge Ice Wolves should be an easy four points for the Battlefords North Stars.

The Stars are off to another good start this season with a 20-5-1 record. They have 41 points and sit second in the newly named Global AgRisk Solutions Division of the SJHL, while La Ronge has just six wins in 28 games and are eleventh overall in the 12-team league with just 14 points.

Including this season, the North Stars have only lost once to the Ice Wolves since the 2014-2015 season. In 13 games over that span, the Stars are 12-1 and have outscored La Ronge by a 51-28 margin.

The only meeting this season between Battlefords and La Ronge saw the Stars score 10 goals in the opening two periods, as they cruised to a 10-2 win at the Civic Centre on Nov. 28.

However, the game of hockey is not played on paper and no one knows that better than North Stars head coach and general manager Brandon Heck.

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“There are no easy games in this league on any night,” Heck said. “This team beat Humboldt and if we’re not ready to go, we are vulnerable.”

To make the task more difficult for the Ice Wolves is the fact they will have to deal with the Stars “dynamic duo” of team captain Layne Young and MacGregor Sinclair, who together combined for 13 points in the Nov. 28 game.  

Young currently leads the SJHL in scoring with 17 goals and 34 assists for 52 points, while Sinclair is fourth in scoring with 42 points including a team high 21 goals. The Stars offensively have four players in the top-40 of league scoring, while the leading point-getter for La Ronge — center Jason Bednarski — has 18 points this season.

Heck said his team has to play its game and want the puck more than La Ronge, something he felt they did not do well against Humboldt on Tuesday night despite getting the win in overtime.

“Our guys have got to want the puck in the d-zone,” Heck added. “I want us to shoot more and not pass the puck into the net.”

Despite their overall record, the Ice Wolves should not be taken lightly, especially in the confines of the Mel Hegland Uniplex, said the radio voice of the Battlefords North Stars Nathan Kanter.

“The Ice Wolves have played much better at home this year, going 5-7-0-2, compared to just 1-12 on the road,” said Kanter, who will be live on CJNB/CJNS with Norsask North Stars hockey with the Ultra Print pre-game show at 7:15 p.m. this evening. “The rink is extremely small, which La Ronge is used to and the North Stars aren’t, so they need to be able to adjust to that quickly.”

In addition to beating the Broncos, the Ice Wolves have also beatan Flin Flon and Weyburn this season.

The North Stars trail the Notre Dame Hounds (19-8-1-3) by just one point in the toughest division in the league, however, they have played five fewer games than the Hounds. The Stars have eight wins in their last 10 games while the Wolves have won just two of their last 10 games.

Following tonight’s contest the Ice Wolves and North Stars will head to Pinehouse for the back end of the weekend series on Saturday night, with that game starting at 7:30 p.m.

roger.white@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @RJWtheReporter