Stars' defensmen Matthew Fletcher and Noah Form, seen celebrating here, each picked up a goal for the team in the Stars' 3-2 overtime win over Flin Flon Tuesday night. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Stars put Bombers on brink

North Stars take 3-0 stranglehold in series with Bombers

Mar 19, 2019 | 11:24 PM

The Battlefords North Stars topped the Flin Flon Bombers 3-2 in overtime Tuesday night, to take a commanding 3-0 series lead in the two teams’ best-of-seven quarterfinal playoff series.

Bombers’ rookie Vincent Nardone opened the scoring with just 40 seconds to go in the first period, notching his first of the series and second of the playoffs.

The goal gave Flin Flon their first lead of the series, which they took to the first intermission.

The Stars tied things 1-1 not quite a minute-and-a-half into the second period, when Austin Becker found defenseman Matthew Fletcher alone in front of the Bombers’ goal for a bang-bang play to knot the score. The goal served as Fletcher’s first of the postseason.

New training seats

Province announces funding for more psychiatric nursing spots at North West College

1h ago

Nursing

Studying Nursing with the University of Saskatchewan

May 08, 2024

Red Pheasant Cree Nation

Miss Indigenous Canada Pageant contestant Khoniss Wuttunee says 'life promotion' part of her philosophy

May 08, 2024

Then, with just 4:45 to go in the middle period, Noah Form reversed the lead entirely, putting the Stars ahead for the first time in the contest at 2-1 Battlefords.

Coming off some sustained pressure deep in the attacking zone, Form’s shot through traffic somehow found its way through traffic, almost as if the puck had eyes for the blue liner’s first career SJHL playoff goal.

The Stars’ lead, however, was short lived, as Flin Flon took just 16 seconds to answer back with a tally of their own off the stick of Chrystopher Collin.

His first of the playoffs, Collin’s goal served as a highlight-reel tying marker with the forward slipping the puck home five-hole on a breakaway, using just one hand on his stick. Just like that, the score was once again knotted up, 2-2 this time.

After the third period saw no scoring, the two sides were destined for overtime.

In sudden-death O.T., the North Stars took just 45 seconds to establish a firm stranglehold on the series.

Receiving a pass in the neutral zone with a head of steam, Buziak strode into the zone on the attack with blazing speed. As a left-hand shot down the right-wing side, the power forward then snapped a quick shot on goal 14-inches stick-side on the Bombers’ goalie that clanked perfectly, off the post and in.

Silencing the crowd and causing his team to swarm him, Buziak’s tally marked his second of the series and second in two games to give his team the 3-0 series lead.

Joel Grzybowski who entered play having stopped 79 of the 80 shots he faced through the first two games of the series, made 32 saves on 34 shots in the win.

Gabriel Waked of the Bombers stopped 41 of the 44 shots sent his way.

Now holding a 3-0 series lead, the North Stars will have an opportunity to close out their best-of-seven first round series Wednesday night as they will once again face the Bombers at the Whitney Forum in Flin Flon.

The Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 6 p.m. with puck drop at 6:30 p.m. on NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey on 1050 CJNB.

Scoring summary

First period:

19:19 FF Vincent Nardone (2) ASST: Cade Kowalski (5), Reid Robertson (2)

Second period:

1:26 BAT Matthew Fletcher (1) ASST: Austin Becker (1)

15:15 BAT Noah Form (1) ASST: Quintin Loon-Stewardson (2), Elijah Loon-Stewardson (1)

15:31 FF Chrystopher Collin (1) ASST: Caleb Moretz (4), Nate Hooper (4)

Third period:

No scoring

Overtime:

0:43 BAT Braydon Buziak (2) ASST: MacGregor Sinclair (1)

3-2 North Stars, the final.

–

Martin.Martinson@hotmail.com

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1