Stars can clinch division, league in final night

Nipawin, with a regulation loss, would remain at 79 points with 32 regulation/overtime wins, while Melfort would stand pat at 78 points.

Whoever finishes in the top spot in the league will play the victor of Yorkton and Notre Dame’s Wild Card series.

This scenario would set up a date with the winner of Flin Flon and Weyburn or Melville in the two teams’ Wild Card series.

Tuesday’s loser between the Stars and Klippers will take second place in the division, and fifth overall. Finishing second within the division solidifies a meeting with either Nipawin or Melfort in the 4 vs. 5 playoff matchup.

The North Stars enter Tuesday night riding a 7-0-1 streak over their last eight games played. Overall, the North Stars hold a 33-13-10 record, good for 77 points.

Kindersley are 36-16-5 through 57 games, also with 77 points.

Offensively, the North Stars have been rolling as of late, having won five-straight, while in the process, outscoring their opposition 29-17 over the five game span.

Perhaps most impressive about the Stars’ offensive attack of late, has been their depth of scoring with all four lines contributing consistently on a night-by-night basis. Perfectly exemplifying the team’s scoring depth was the Stars’ last game, which saw eight different players chip in with goals in the Battlefords’ 9-6 win over Humboldt.

Kindersley also boasts an offensive attack brim with confidence throughout entering this evening, coming off a performance Saturday that saw six different Klippers register goals in a 6-2 win over Notre Dame.

Special team’s wise, the North Stars and Klippers are about as comparable as they come, ranking fifth and sixth on the power play with the Klippers just slightly ahead of the Stars in power play efficiency, at 19.7 per cent to the Battlefords 19 per cent.

On the penalty kill, the Stars sit third at 86.3, while Kindersley is fourth at 84.7 per cent effectiveness.

Tasked with putting a stop to the keen offensive threats on either side are two of the top goaltenders in the league.

Stars’ netminder, Joel Grzybowski will get the start tonight for the North Stars. Making his league-high 44th start, Grzybowski enters play having posted a 2.77 goals-against average and .908 save percentage this season.

Kinderlsey’s Justen Close, meanwhile, is coming off his second-straight season being named SJHL Top Goaltender. Close has a 2.15 goals-against average and .929 save percentage on the year through 40 games.

Fans can catch all of Tuesday’s action at the NB Civic Centre and on 1050 CJNB beginning with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 7:15 p.m. with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. on NAPA North Stars hockey.

North Stars lineup at a glance

Forwards:

B. Buziak, M. Sinclair, O. Lamb

E. Loon-Stewardson, Q. Loon-Stewardson, R. Gil

A. Becker, B. Gammer, D. Esau

K. Boser, D. Heino, R. Doig

Defensemen:

N. Form, C. Spagrud

S. Summers, M. Fletcher

R. Granville, , G. Johnson

Goaltenders:

J. Grzybowski

C. Duran

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1

by Martin Martinson

Stars can clinch division, league in final night

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