Tynan Ewart and his North Stars’ teammates will travel to La Ronge this weekend for a back-to-back versus the Ice Wolves. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Into the Ice Wolves' den

Stars travel to La Ronge for first road swing of season

Nov 13, 2020 | 2:03 PM

The Battlefords North Stars will return to action Friday night, for the first of what will be back-to-back games versus the Ice Wolves in La Ronge this weekend.

The North Stars enter play looking to bounce back from a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Kindersley last weekend, against an Ice Wolves team that will also be looking for their first win of the year. La Ronge dropped their opener last Friday as well, at home to Nipawin, 7-3.

The North Stars should receive a shot in the arm personnel-wise, as both Jaxon Steele and Dylan Esau will make their season debut with the team, after missing the opener due to suspensions.

Steele is the highest-scoring returning player from last year’s roster (25 points in just 24 games), while Esau (21 points last season) remains one of only two players still with the team, from the Stars’ 2019 championship roster. Both are expected to play prominent roles in the team’s success this season.

Furthermore, 20-year-old goalie Kristian Lyon will also make his first start of the season between the pipes for the Stars.

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Lyon will look to pick up where he left off last season, after posting an 8-1 record with the team in 2019-20, to go along with a sparkling, 2.33 goals-against average and .933 save percentage.

At the other end, La Ronge also boasts what should be one of the top netminders in the league this year, in fellow 20-year-old Liam McGarva.

Despite a tough start to the campaign that saw him pulled in the season opener, McGarva will also be looking to follow up a stellar season last year, that saw the Fort Saskatchewan, product, finish as a finalist for the league’s top goalie award after posting a 23-10-5 record and .915 save percentage.

McGarva and backup Xavier Cannon, a 19-year-old who posted a .921 save percentage with La Ronge a season ago, are likely to split the starts this weekend with whoever doesn’t play Friday, in goal Saturday.

Regardless of who tends the pipes for the Ice Wolves Friday, having a good showing on special teams will be critical in the Stars’ bid for a victory.

All three goals La Ronge scored in their opener were power play markers, with two lethal units both capable of capitalizing when given the opportunity.

Big bodies like Wolves’ captain, Chad McIlwain (6’3, 195) and Spencer Kennedy (6’6, 215) should pose a good challenge for some of the younger Stars on the back end, early this season.

Similarly, the Battlefords will be looking for a few more bounces to go their way, after going 0-for-6 on the own power play in their first game, despite some good looks on the night.

Friday’s game will be broadcast on 1050 CJNB. The NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast will begin with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 7 p.m., and puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

North Stars lines

Forwards:

B. Berthold, D. Esau, C. Gabruch

K.T. Walters, M. Richey, R. McNinch

J. Southgate, J. Steele, S. Kesslering

R. Kenyon, T. Klimpke, T. Bahm

Defencemen:

S. Witt, T. Prexler

T. Ewart, R. Little

Z. Florence, W. Steele

Goaltenders:

K. Lyon

A. Schwab

—

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1