North Stars set to face league’s best in Hawks

Awaiting the North Stars in Nipawin is a Hawks team who have ridden defensive acumen and solid system play. Leading not only the Sherwood Division but sitting first in the SJHL, the Hawks hold a 35-12-3 record, good for 73 points this year.

Allowing just two goals against per game, a league-best, the Hawks’ also boast the top penalty kill proficiency, clicking along at 88.8 per cent effectiveness shorthanded. The North Stars rank second on the penalty kill at 87 per cent efficiency, meaning power play scoring will likely be hard to come by for either side.

Up front for the North Stars, Elijah Loon-Stewardson, Dayton Heino and Quintin Loon-Stewardson are coming off a contest against the Terriers that saw the trio combine for three goals, eight points, while Braydon Buziak, MacGregor Sinclair and Owen Lamb added another three goals, six points between them in the win.

Forward Dylan Esau, who has played some of his best hockey of the season as of late, will not dress tonight for the Stars as the Meadow Lake product is sidelined with the flu. While the absence of Esau for the evening will no doubt be felt, adding to the offensive attack, the team will see a return to action from Ryan Gil. Gil rejoins the lineup after being the sidelined the last three games with an upper-body injury. Gil, who has 32 points in 46 games this season, will suit up next to Austin Becker and Brett Gammer on the third unit.

With just 11 forwards up front once again, Kaden Boser and Logan Spence round out the Stars’ forward core.

On the backend, Noah Form will once again lineup alongside Cody Spagrud on the team’s top defensive pair. Spagrud sits sixth in defensemen scoring this season with 35 points in 47 games, while the captain’s eight goals also rank within the top 10 amongst blueliners.

Seth Summers, meanwhile, paired with Matthew Fletcher on pair two, is coming off a showing in front of the home crowd Saturday that saw the rookie rearguard notch his first goal of the season.

Austin Shumanski and Garrett Johnson form a third pairing made to excel in tight games as this one anticipates to be. Playing a hard, and brash style of game that can handle the likes of Hawks’ forwards Jordan Simoneau and Logan Moon in front of the Battlefords’ goal.

Tanner Scott will play the role of seventh defenseman tonight, picking up minutes with each of the top three pairs throughout the night, while also logging additional ice time on the penalty kill, where the rookie perhaps excels most.

Between the pipes, fans can expect a battle between two of the premier backstoppers in the league, as 19-year-old Joel Grzybowski will get the start for the visitors, while 20-year-old Declan Hobbs is expected to get the nod for the Hawks on home ice. Grzybowski, who will be making his 38th start of the season, has posted 18 wins with a 2.67 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. Hobbs, meanwhile, will make his 33rd start, having posted a 1.81 goals-against average and .939 save percentage.

North Stars lineup at a glance

Forwards:

B. Buziak, M. Sinclair, O. Lamb

Q. Loon-Stewardson, D. Heino, E. Loon-Stewardson

A. Becker, B. Gammer, R. Gil

K. Boser, L. Spence

Defensemen:

N. Form, C. Spagrud

S. Summers, M. Fletcher

A. Shumanski, G. Johnson

T. Scott

Goaltenders:

J. Grzybowski

C. Duran

–

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1

by Martin Martinson

North Stars set to face league’s best in Hawks

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