North Stars fall 6-2 in Game 2, face uphill climb in semis
The Battlefords North Stars fired 34 shots and received another lights-out performance from their goaltender Friday, but it wasn’t enough to even their semi-final series in Game 2 versus the Bombers in Flin Flon.
Ben Portner and Kian Bell scored for the team, picking up a goal and an assist apiece, while Logan Cunningham made another 40 saves, including a number of big stops at key times to keep the game close through much of the night.
Bombers’ captain Justin Lies opened the scoring just over 5:30 into the night’s contest, on a rocket wrister for his sixth of the playoffs to make it 1-0 early. The opening goal was followed by another from Lies’ linemate, Anthony Piccininno to make it 2-0 Flin Flon at the end of the first.
Portner’s fifth of the playoffs cut the deficit in half, just over five minutes into the second, firing home his fifth of the playoffs and third in his last two games on a quick release from the slot, assisted by Bell and Alex Izyk.