By Nathan Kanter

Despite depleted lineup, North Stars squeak past Broncos

Nov 2, 2017 | 8:00 AM

The injuries and suspensions added up for the Battlefords North Stars ahead of Wednesday’s road match against the Humboldt Broncos.

Yet in their fourth game in six nights, they were able to defeat the Broncos 3-2 in a shootout, despite nine different players having to sit out because of either a suspension or an injury, including their entire second line, their starting goaltender, and two 20-year-old defencemen.

“Gutsy, greasy, just a hard-fought character win,” North Stars assistant coach Boyd Wakelin said in the post-game interview on CJNB/CJNS. “It’s like the perfect win after last night where we didn’t really have it. I thought it was probably one of our worst games of the year last night. For the guys to come out and gut one out like they did tonight [was great]. I told them from the start it wasn’t going to be a pretty one.

“It took every guy in the lineup. It was awesome.”

Kolby Matthews made 39 saves on 41 shots in perhaps his best (and certainly his busiest) start so far this season, as the North Stars were outshot 41-35. Matthews also stopped all three shooters in the shootout.

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Up front, Layne Young and MacGregor Sinclair led the way again, but if it wasn’t for Chasetan Braid, the winning result may not have happened.

Braid created the opportunity that led to Young’s opening goal and also assisted on Sinclair’s go-ahead power play early in the third.

“I thought guys did a good job of winning their battles,” Wakelin added. “They just stuck with it. They didn’t start trying to get fancy or anything. They just stuck to the gameplan. That’s kind of what we talked about before the game. We can’t get away from good habits.”

Logan Schatz of the Broncos ended up tying the game at two late in the third period following Sinclair’s ninth goal of the season.

But the North Stars didn’t panic, as the chances in overtime were very even.

“We got running around there a little bit [when Schatz tied it],” Wakelin said. “That’s hockey. There’s going to be goals like that, there’s going to be times like that in a game where good players and good teams find ways to bounce back after stuff like that.”

Young extended his season-long point streak to 13 games with his first-period marker, giving him 29 points in those 13 games. Sinclair also extended his point-streak to four games, during which he has three goals and six assists.

The North Stars will have a rematch with the Kindersley Klippers, who they lost to 4-1 on Tuesday, this coming Saturday on the road.

The length of the suspensions to Keith Anderson, Troy Gerein, Connor McIntosh, and Connor Manegre should also be known prior to Saturday’s game, perhaps as early as Thursday.

Head coach Brandon Heck was also suspended for Wednesday’s game, as Wakelin took over the reins for a game.

nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @NathanKanter11