By Martin Martinson

Stars and Bombers explode for seven goals, nearly 160 penalty minutes

Jan 26, 2019 | 12:34 AM

The Battlefords North Stars fell 5-2 Friday night to the Flin Flon Bombers at the Whitney Forum in Flin Flon.

Chrystopher Collin opened the scoring with his 15th of the year, converting on a two-on-one with Cade Kowalski that saw the forward Collin receive a pass just in front of the Stars’ goal in time to tap the puck home to break the scoreless tie, 1-0 Bombers.

The initial celebration would be short-lived however, as the North Stars would answer back just 24 seconds later, courtesy of a shorthanded goal by Braydon Buziak. Charging in on the penalty kill, Buziak fired the puck home for his 13th of the campaign to knot things up, 1-1.

The game remained tied until Chrystopher Collin’s second of the night, coming on the power play from Cade Kowalski and Brandson Hein, for his 16th of the year.

Then, just before the end of the first, Collin, the defending SJHL Player of the Week, would live up to his billing and then some, potting his third of the night to complete the hattrick with just five seconds remaining in the period.

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A power play goal yet again, Collin’s third of the game came as a tip in front of the goal to close out the period with a 3-1 Flin Flon lead.

Stars’ forward Matthias Urbanski would leave the game in the first period after taking an awkward hit along the boards and would not return.  

In the second, Cade Kowalski’s shot capped off a frantic couple of minutes of Bombers’ pressure inside the Stars’ zone, making it 4-1 in what would also serve as the lone goal of the period.

Although just the one goal was scored, there were some extracurricular entries on the stat sheet in the second, with a couple of fights, the first of which involved Ryan Gil (5’10, 193lbs) and Matt Flodell (5’10, 170lbs).

With the first bout only escalating tensions between the two sides, it wasn’t long until Regan Doig (6’1, 185lbs) and Tyler Higgins (6’5, 230lbs) got in on the action as well, dropping the gloves in a heavy-weight tilt.  

Down three goals and already down three forwards (Urbanski, Gil, Doig) heading into the third period, things would only continue to get more out of hand in the final period of play.

Just 28 seconds into the third frame, Quintin Loon-Stewardson would be assessed a slashing minor. His third stick infraction of the game, the penalty would lead to a game ejection for the younger Loon-Stewardson.

Still not-yet half way through the third, Garrett Johnson would also see his night end early after the defenseman was called for a “blow to the head,” earning the defenseman a game ejection as well.

After Braydon Buziak’s second of the game made it 4-2, Kaden Boser (6’1, 193lbs) got in what marked the third fight of the game, with Bombers’ defenceman Mason Martin (6’2, 210lbs).

All the mayhem would finally conclude with one final ejection apiece given to Stars’ forward Braydon Buziak and Flin Flon’s Ethan Daniels for jockeying for position a bit too aggressively late in the game prior to a faceoff.

All total, the North Stars would be missing six forwards and one defenseman by the night’s end, with all but one of those players ejected from game action early.

The two teams would combine for 158 penalty minutes all together on the night.

Caleb Moretz would cap off the evening with an empty net goal for his 17th of the season.

In goal, Joel Grzybowski stopped 33 of the 37 shots he faced on the night for the Stars. Bombers’ netminder, Gabriel Waked turned aside 34 of 36 sent his way.

The North Stars and Bombers will now get less than 24 hours to rest up and regroup before heading into round two Saturday night, once again at the Whitney Forum in Flin Flon.

Fans can catch all the action on 1050 CJNB beginning with the pregame show at 7:15 p.m. and puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

Scoring summary

First period:

2:38 FF Chrystopher Collin (15) ASST: Cade Kowalski (31)

2:54 BAT Braydon Buziak (13) ASST: Noah Form (5) (SH)

18:31 FF Chrystopher Collin (16) ASST: Cade Kowalski (32), Brandson Hein (26) (PP)

19:55 FF Chrystopher Collin (17) ASST: Mason Martin (11), Nate Hooper (45) (PP)

Second Period:

11:49 FF Cade Kowalski (18) ASST: Isaac Jackson (20), Brandson Hein (27)

Third period:

15:09 BAT Braydon Buziak (14) ASST: MacGregor Sinclair (31), Noah Form (6)

19:56 FF Caleb Moretz (17) ASST: Alec Cokley (11), Caleb Franklin (14) (EN)

5-2 Bombers, the Final

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1