The North Stars were 1-2-1 over the four game season-series with the Bombers. The two teams combined for 31 goals, 274 penalty minutes through the four games. (illustration/Tyler Marr/battlefordsNOW Staff) : Tyler Marr

By Martin Martinson

Stars battle Bombers

Stars to face Bombers in quarterfinals

Mar 11, 2019 | 5:03 PM

The North Stars were 1-2-1 over the four game season-series with the Bombers. The two teams combined for 31 goals, 274 penalty minutes through the four games. Since their win in the final game of the year to clinch the division, the Battlefords North Stars have been awaiting the results of the Survivor Series to see who their opponent will be in the quarterfinals when the team’s post-season run begins.

Sunday night, the North Stars were granted clarity in that regard, thanks to a 6-2 Bomber win over Weyburn at the Whitney Forum. With the victory, Flin Flon officially punched their ticket to meet the Battlefords after making short work of the Red Wings in their first round play-in-series, closing things out in two-straight games, while outscoring the Wings by a 13-5 margin in the process.

The Stars and Bombers will kick off Game one of their quarterfinal showdown at the Civic Centre Mar. 15.

“It’s going to be a good matchup,” said Stars’ alternate captain, Braydon Buziak. “[Flin Flon] are highly skilled up front, so there’s going to be a lot of skill in the games, but it’s also going to be a rough and tough game too. It’s the first round of the playoffs, so everyone’s going to be excited, and people are going to be out there to try to win. It’ll be a great matchup and the intensity will be high; I can’t wait for it.”

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Buziak, who scored the game-winning goal for the Stars in overtime of game 58 of the regular season to clinch top spot in the division, leads a Battlefords’ top line along with MacGregor Sinclair and Owen Lamb that set the tone for their team offensively, with the trio finishing One (Sinclair), Two (Lamb), Three (Buziak) in team scoring.

At the other end, Bomber captain Nate Hooper, who finished third in league scoring in the regular season with a team-high 87 points, has picked up right where he left off to start the postseason, with two goals, five points through the two games against Weyburn.

Donavan Houle-Villeneuve, a sophomore from Montreal, QC., also sits atop the playoff scoring leaderboard following his team’s two-game series, picking up a goal and four assists alongside Hooper on the Flin Flon top line. Houle-Villeneuve scored six goals in seven playoff games as a rookie last season.

The Bombers have been a powerhouse team all season long, having scored the third most goals over the course of the regular season with 233. The Stars, meanwhile, were fourth in their own right in terms of goal production with 213 goals, while also allowing the third-fewest goals-against at just 169.

All things considered, when it comes to goal differential, the two teams rank second and third respectively with Flin Flon at +47 and the Stars just back at +44.

This season will mark the third time over the last four years that the North Stars and Bombers will meet in the playoffs, with last year’s playoffs being the lone exception.

For Stars’ forward Dylan Esau, who grew up in Meadow Lake a Stars’ fan, Friday night will mark an especially unique experience, as the forward gets set for his first-ever playoff game.

“As a kid I watched a few [Stars’] playoff games, and they were always really exciting,” Esau said. “[They were] very fun to watch, so I’m really looking forward to playing in my first one this weekend.”

The North Stars will begin their Quarterfinal series with the Bombers Fri., Mar. 15 at the Civic Centre. Ultra Print Pregame Show begins at 7 p.m. with puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m. on NAPA North Stars hockey on 1050 CJNB.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1