Stars' forward Quintin Loon-Stewardson (#22) is coming off Player of the Week honours after posting an unparalleled six goals, nine points over the team’s four games played last week. Loon-Stewardson has amassed eight goals, 12 points in seven games this season. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

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The Battlefords North Stars return to action Tuesday night, as the team heads back out onto the road on their way to Yorkton to take on the Yorkton Terriers.

With a perfect 7-0 record going into Tuesday’s contest, the North Stars enter the new month of October as the hottest team in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), and lone undefeated club.

Yorkton meanwhile, who carry with them a 1-6 record, will be looking to bounce back for their first victory since opening night of the season when the team beat Melville, back on Sept. 13.

The matchup between the Stars and Terriers will be their first since last Spring. The two teams met in the second round of the playoffs last year in a series the Stars took in a four-game sweep.

In their quest for retribution Tuesday, however, the Terriers will need to be careful to keep their emotions in check.

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Last season’s playoff battle between the North Stars and Terriers brewed with it a lot of animosity between the two teams. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

While at first glance the Battlefords’ special teams may not look like anything too special, with the team sitting tied for fifth in power play percentage (20.0 percent) and sixth on the penalty kill (82.4 percent), a deeper dive shows the club on an upward trajectory in both areas.

The Stars have scored at least a single power play goal in all but one game the team has played this year. The North Stars are also coming off their first game of the new campaign that saw the club notch two power play tallies in a single contest, Saturday against La Ronge.

On the penalty kill, the Stars are perfect over their last two games, going 11/11 against La Ronge over the weekend, including killing a lengthy 5-on-3 against on Saturday.

The Terriers’ on the other hand, currently carry the worst power play (3.1 percent) and penalty kill (69.6 percent) effectiveness in the league into the new month of October.

Yorkton will need their special teams’ units to step up in a big way if the team hopes to find success against the Battlefords.

Not helping the Terriers cause, both the power play and penalty kill units of the Stars will gain an additional boost with the return of blue liner Dylan McCabe to the North Stars’ back end.

McCabe, who missed both Friday and Saturday night’s games with a minor lower body injury, draws back in tonight to the Stars’ top four on defence, alongside Noah Form.

A shot in the arm to the team as a whole, McCabe’s return will only bolster an already lights-out Battlefords’ blue line, also featuring defending Defenceman of the Week, Matthew Fletcher and his partner Seth Summers, along with standout rookies, Walter Somers and Timon Prexler.

Stars’ captain Matthew Fletcher picked up six assists last week en route to being named SJHL Defenceman of the Week. In seven games this season, Fletcher sits second in blue liner scoring with eight points. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Up front, the Stars’ attack is led by veterans Quintin Loon-Stewardson (eight goals, 12 points), Austin Becker (seven goals, 10 points) and Matthias Urbanski (two goals, nine points), as the trio sit 1-2-3 in team production entering Tuesday.

Quintin Loon-Stewardson and Matthias Urbanski are joined by fellow offensive sparkplug, Elijah Loon-Stewardson on the team’s top line.

In three games since being paired together ahead of Tuesday night’s contest with the Bombers, the trio have combined for an astounding eight goals, 20 points.

By contrast, the entire Yorkton Terriers’ team has combined for 13 goals in seven games this season.

Austin Becker who trails Quintin Loon-Stewardson by a single goal for the team lead, has picked up seven goals, 10 points in his own right.

A cerebral player, Becker will be joined Tuesday opposite puck hound, Rylan Nivon on center Kaden Boser’s line.

Nivon has pitched in with at least a single point in all but one of the team’s first seven games. Boser meanwhile, has three goals through seven games, and is primed to demolish the mark he set last season of four in 41 contests.

Sophomores Brett Gammer and Dylan Esau will be joined by Steven Kesslering on the team’s ‘third line.’

Highlighting the offensive depth of the group up front, Gammer sits fourth in team scoring with eight points through seven games, while Esau ranks third in goal production with four goals already. Kesslering completes the unit bringing additional tenacity on the forecheck and nice touch around the net.

On line four, Palmer Sinclair and Hunter Rambow draw back into the lineup alongside 19-year-old Logan Spence.

Bringing speed, skill and a fourth wave of unbridled energy, the three will ensure no easy night for the Terriers’ defence.

The Terriers will need their best effort of the season if the team hopes to counter the North Stars unrelenting attack.

In addition to improved specialty teams’ play, with a league-worst minus-19 goal differential on the year, the Terriers may need a ‘first star’ performance from their goaltender if the home side hopes to find any success against the North Stars’ this evening.

Yorkton will likely give rookie Philippe Bond the nod between the pipes.

Bond has started six of the Terriers’ seven games thus far, posting a 4.26 goals-against average and 0.889 save percentage in the process.

At the other end, Stars’ goaltender Parker Rey will get the start Tuesday night for the visitors.

Rey has been tremendous to begin his ‘Junior A’ career, having posted a 1.00 goals-against average and .962 save percentage on his way to a 2-0 record through his opening two starts.

Tuesday’s game will kick off the first of what will be four games in five nights for the Stars this week.

Tuesday’s game will be broadcast on 1050 CJNB. The Ultra-Print Pregame Show will begin at 7:15 p.m. with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. on NAPA North Stars Hockey.

North Stars lineup

Forwards:

M. Urbanski, Q. Loon-Stewardson, E. Loon-Stewardson

A. Becker, K. Boser, R. Nivon

D. Esau, B. Gammer, S. Kesslering

P. Sinclair, H. Rambow, L. Spence

Defencemen:
N. Form, D. McCabe

S. Summers, M. Fletcher

W. Somers, T. Prexler

Goaltenders:

P. Rey

A. Dmyterko

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1