North Stars top Bombers 5-2 in Game 1

However, as the Stars have done all season long, the team faced the adversity head-on to bounce back quickly and knot the score on their next power play. Southgate’s sixth of the playoffs on a one-timer from the blue line made it 1-1 still early, to bring the hometown crowd into hysterics.

In a scary moment later in the first, the game was put on the hold for a time when a skate inadvertently cut the arm of Bombers’ captain Lucas Fry, leading to him needing emergency medical assistance.

Trainers from both sides immediately sprung into action, and Fry was taken to hospital, awake and alert, with the Bombers organization providing an update during the night that he was in stable condition, on his way to Saskatoon hospital.

(Twitter/@FFBombers)

Late in the first, Bear scored his second of the playoffs with just under four minutes to go, converting on the breakaway for a highlight-reel goal to give the Stars their first lead of the night at 2-1.

The scoring play was started by a gorgeous stretch-pass from Tynan Ewart, who threaded the needle on a perfect saucer feed over 30-feet and on the tape, to a streaking Bear in-stride to convert, showing strength and dexterity to beat the goalie clean one-on-one.

A 2-1 Battlefords’ lead after the first, the Stars’ outshot the Bombers 17-8 in the opening frame, with Flin Flon’s Harmon Laser Hume making 15 stops in the first alone to keep his team in the hockey game.

Southgate’s second of the game and sixth of the playoffs then stretched the lead to 3-1 just 6:25 into the second, redirecting an Alex Izyk shot from the right point for the insurance marker.

Defenseman Alex Izyk was a tower of strength on the backend for the North Stars in Game 1, dishing out a big hit on Bombers’ forward Alexi Sylvestre in the first, and factoring in large on the Stars’ 3/3 penalty kill, while also chipping in on the offense for his team. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Prior to the second intermission, Klein cashed for his second of the playoffs on a two-on-one with Bear to make it 4-1 Stars at the end of 40 minutes.

In the third, Flin Flon’s Ethan Mercer did get the Bombers back to within a pair, trailing 4-2 on a rebound conversion, though that is as close as the visitors would come.

Bear’s second of the night, and third of the post-season, into the empty net sealed the victory for his team at 5-2, securing a 1-0 series lead for the Stars in the best-of-seven.

The teams will return to action at the ACC in North Battleford Saturday night, for Game 2 of the series. Saturday’s game will again be available on 1050 CJNB, with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 7 p.m. and puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m. on the NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast.

Scoring summary

First period:

2:33 FF Kylynn Olafson (2) ASST: None (SH) 1-0 Bombers

7:18 BAT Jake Southgate (5) ASST: Kian Bell, Tynan Ewart (PP) 1-1 Tie

16:14 Colby Bear (2) ASST: Tynan Ewart 2-1 North Stars

Second period:

6:25 BAT Jake Southgate (6) ASST: Alex Izyk 3-1 North Stars

17:31 BAT Keiton Klein (2) ASST: Colby Bear 4-1 North Stars

Third period:

9:07 FF Ethan Mercer (7) ASST: Reece Richmond 4-2 North Stars

19:07 BAT Colby Bear (3) ASST: None (EN) 5-2 North Stars

5-2 North Stars, the final

—

Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1

by Martin Martinson

North Stars top Bombers 5-2 in Game 1

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