Kian Bell of the North Stars and Max Monette of the Red Wings have had a great back-and-forth all series long, headlined by Monette's big hit on Bell following the latter's empty-netter to seal Game 3, that ramped up the animosity in the series to new heights. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Lead best-of-seven 3-1

Stars with chance to clinch series, back home for Game 5

Mar 24, 2023 | 1:00 PM

The Battlefords North Stars return to home ice at the Access Communications Centre Friday for Game 5 of their first round best-of-seven series with the Weyburn Red Wings.

The Stars enter Game 5 leading the series 3-1, with their first chance to advance and punch their ticket to the semi-finals of the SJHL playoffs with just one more win.

Head coach of the North Stars Brayden Klimosko said heading into Friday’s contest, the team will need to stay focused on the task at hand, and not look past tonight.

“The key is to play our best game yet,” Klimosko said. “Weyburn isn’t going away easy and we know we will see their best, so we have to match it.”

The Battlefords are coming off back-to-back victories in Weyburn Tuesday and Wednesday night in Games 3 and 4 of the series. In fact, the North Stars have won three straight overall since the Wings’ Game 1 win, one week ago.

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Heading into the series shift to Weyburn earlier this week tied at a game apiece, the Stars’ Game 3 win was a 3-0 final led by their goaltender Josh Kotai who pitched a 34-save shutout, with timely goal contributions from each of Evan Waldie, Tynan Ewart and Kian Bell.

Game 4, the offensive dam finally burst, as six different Stars’ players chipped in with a goal apiece in the 6-1 win, while again, Kotai stopped 31-32 to provide the backbone for the team between the pipes.

Holden Doell, Jake Southgate, Wilson Steele, and Jordan Grill all tallied their first of the postseason in Wednesday’s Game 4 victory, in addition to goals from Bell who scored his league-leading seventh, and Steven Kesslering who added his second of the series.

Klimosko said the contributions throughout the lineup have been key to the team’s success so far, and the overall spirit of the group.

“Morale is good and everyone has been chipping so that always helps,” he said. “Even the guys who aren’t scoring [are contributing in different ways].”

If there is a positive for the Red Wings to build on coming out of Game 4’s 6-1 defeat, it is that the team’s lone goal of the night served as their first at even-strength of the series.

Stars’ defenceman Tanner Gold has been a force defensively for the Battlefords all series long, matching up whenever possible against the big guns of the Wings, including Ty Mason, who he is pictured here tied up with. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Ty Mason, who scored the goal, leads the Wings with two goals and four points, as the only player on the team with more than a single tally so far.

Weyburn will need scoring contributions from their bottom six to extend the series, as their only recently disassembled top-unit of Ryley Morgan, Jackson Hassman and Mason, who were split onto three different lines in Game 4, are the lone Wings’ forwards to tally even a single goal so far.

Held to just six goals total through the first four games of the series, four of those have come on the power play. Though the visitors will receive a boost to their lineup up front in Game 5, with the return of their captain.

Veteran forward and 20-year-old captain Matthew Reidy will return to the Wings’ lineup after serving his two-game suspension for charging, for a hit on Holden Doell back in Game 2 in the Battlefords.

The Red Wings will rely heavily on veterans Ryley Morgan (#91) and Matt Reidy (#25) in their bid to extend the series in Game 5, Friday. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

In goal, what has been a standout series throughout for the SJHL’s Top Goaltender Josh Kotai has only continued to get stronger as the series has progressed. Kotai has allowed just a single goal over his last 138:32 of game time, going back to the early third period of Game 2.

Through the first four games of the series, Kotai has posted a 3-1 record with a 1.51 goals against average and league-best .953 save percentage.

At the other end, Weyburn’s Dazza Mitchell, who has been the ultimate equalizer in the Weyburn goal keeping his team in each game of the series, will be looking for a quick bounce-back after being pulled for the first time these playoffs in Game 4.

Mitchell stopped 39, 39, and 43 shots through the first three games of the series and is 1-3 this postseason with a 3.59 goals against average and .918 save percentage.

Friday’s Game 5 in North Battleford will be available on 1050 CJNB. The NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast will begin with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 7 p.m., with puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

In other Game 5 action around the league Friday, the #2 Humboldt Broncos host the #7 Nipawin Hawks with a chance to advance to the semi-finals (HUM lead series 3-1); the #3 Flin Flon Bombers host the #6 Estevan Bruins (series tied 2-2); and the #4 Melfort Mustangs host the #5 La Ronge Ice Wolves (series tied 2-2).

The North Stars’ full first round schedule versus the Red Wings can be found here.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1