By Nathan Kanter

Reid’s OT winner gives Stars first win in over 2 weeks

Feb 14, 2017 | 9:31 PM

Goaltender Lance Alm stopped 40 shots and defenceman Luke Reid sniped in overtime to give the AAA Stars their first win since Jan. 29 over the visiting Saskatoon Blazers on Tuesday night at the Civic Centre.

“I didn’t see the goal,” Stars head coach Norm Johnston joked after the game. “I keep on telling guys ‘Don’t go top shelf.’ [Reid] went top shelf short side. He did exactly what I told him not to do. But the shot was there. It was wide open. He shot the puck, away he goes.”

The game-winning goal, Reid’s sixth tally of the season, was an extremely well-placed shot.

But in typical hockey player fashion, Reid described it in its simpliest terms.

“[Shewchuk] had a nice battle on the wall, just put in down to me and I just shot the puck,” Reid said. “Tried to hit the net and it went in.”

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The playoffs are out of the picture for Battlefords, but the win was a good character one, as the team came in with a 2-12 record in their past 14 games.

It was the Stars’ first win in their last eight games.

“We’ve been playing good lately, just not pulling out the full 60 [minutes],” Reid said. “Today I think we played well the whole game.”

“It feels really good. Guys are getting back into it.”

Alm, as usual, was spectacular, particuarly in the third period and in overtime.

At one moment in the extra frame, it looked like the game would end in Saskatoon’s favour, but Alm went post-to-post to rob the Blazers of the win with his glove.

“You just can’t really give up on pucks during any time in the game and especially in overtime,” Alm said. “I just went over across, watched the puck, anad was able to get a glove on it.”

The Stars were down 2-0 after the first period thanks to goals from Luke Puto and Matthew Fletcher, a North Stars prospect acquired in the Brett Horn trade.

But Jordan Mish cut the lead in half and then Matthew Flodell potted home a rebound to tie the game halfway through the third.

“[Coach Johnston] really got us going,” Reid said about coming from behind in the game. “He really helped us in the dressing room and stuff. Just telling us what we need to do, just simplifying it.”

The loss stings for the visitors but the single point did move them up from eighth place to seventh in the standings. Saskatoon still has four games remaining and can finish as high as sixth because they have two games in hand on Tisdale and is just two points back.

The Stars regular season finale is Thursday at home against the Beardy’s Blackhawks. Battlefords can play spoiler as Beardy’s is still in the playoff hunt. The Blackhawks are three points back of eighth and they have three games left on their schedule.

Puck drop on Thursday is 7:30 p.m. at the CIvic Centre.

nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca

@NathanKanter11