THUNDER BAY – Rob DeGagne wants the Thunder Bay North Stars to get out of the habit of slow starts.
It looks like his players are listening.
The Stars scored three times in the opening 10 minutes of Saturday’s Superior International Junior Hockey League contests against the two-win Kenora Islanders and rolled to a third straight win – and fifth straight over their opponent – downing the second-year Islanders 7-2 at Fort William Gardens.
Easton Glousher, banging home his own rebound, and Zach Lacasse, scored 1:25 apart, North Stars captain Tyler Jordan rounding out the three-goal first with his 18th of the season, beating Kenora goaltender Ethan Beattie, who faced 21 first-period shots, on the power play at the 9:49 mark of the opening stanza.
Kenora’s Hunter Dingman got one back at 13:37 of the first, beating recently acquired Thunder Bay netminder Rylan Benner, the Moncton, N.B. native making his North Stars debut a winning one.
Not giving up an early goal and having to play from behind is key going forward, said Jordan, whose 19 goals leave him tied for fifth-most in the SIJHL this season.
“It was great to get the first goal. We haven’t been doing that much lately. Our starts are obviously very important, so to get out to a one-goal lead, to put them away early tonight, it’s a great thing and something we can hopefully build on going into next year,” said Jordan, a 20-year-old native of St. Michael, Minn.
The early goal was something North Stars coach Rob DeGagne preached to his players, a night after Thunder Bay gave up a first-minute goal to the Islanders. Keeping it is also important, he said.
“Tonight, it worked a little bit better and we got off to a little bit better start and it kind of snowballed a little bit. We really didn’t let them in the game at all tonight,” DeGagne said. “It was better, much better.”
The Stars find themselves in a standings logjam at the break, sitting at 18-8-2, a point behind Sioux Lookout (18-9-3) and two points back of Kam River (20-10-0, with two games in hand on both teams.
The Bombers edged the Walleye 3-2 at home on Saturday night, Jonah Smith netting the winner nine minutes into the third.
This has DeGagne unsure what to think about his squad.
“I don’t know how to feel, to be honest. You play a couple of games like this, but I didn’t think we played particularly good over the last 10 games,” he said. “But we’re right in there. Our winning percentage is pretty good. We’re third in the league. We’ve got two games in hand on everybody. We’re right there.”
Jodan, who scored the Stars third goal of the second period, said the team likes where they’re at.
“It’s a very tight league this year, so to be in the spot we’re in, with half a season left to play … we’re ready to make a push for the playoffs in the new year,” Jordan said.
Alex Remenda, Connor Larrett, and rookie Evan Simeoni, with the lone goal of the third period, also scored for Thunder Bay.
Hunter Dingman and Tallen Caron, who redirected a laser-eye pass from Josh Boyko past Benner 6:14 into the second, had the goals for the last-place Islanders (2-25-2).
Thunder Bay returns to action at Fort William Gardens on Jan. 10 against Fort Frances. The Islanders host the Bombers that night.
Ironwood 6, Fort Frances 2: Matteo Salvatore had two goals and an assist to earn the Lumberjacks (6-22-2) the win.
Dryden 5, Red Lake 4: Rylan Oatman score the game-winner with 3:20 to go in regulation, after the Ice Dogs blew a 4-0 lead after one. The Miners Matthew MacPherson tied the game 4-4 23 seconds before Oatman’s winning goal.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring. 1. Thunder Bay, Glousher 9 (Loke, Sheriff) 3:47. 2. Thunder Bay, Lacasse 1 (Jordan, Gryba) 5:12. 3. Thunder Bay, Jordan 18 (Loke, Bryson) 9:49 pp. 4. Kenora, Dingman 4 (Caron, Boyko) 13:37. Penalties: Boyko KEN (hooking) 8:43.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 5. Thunder Bay, Remenda 15 (Bryson, Larrett) 1:26. 6. Kenora, Caronn 4 (Boyko) 6:14 pp. 7. Thunder Bay, Larrett (Buffone, Helmeczi) 13:33. 8. Thunder Bay, Jordan 16 (Remenda) 16:37. Penalties: Jones TB (interference) 5:56.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 9. Thunder Bay, Simeoni 19 (Francis, Jordan) 8:29. Penalties: Lynn KEN (instigating, fighting major, game misconduct), Jones TB (aggressor, fighting major, game misconduct) 10:33, Sheriff TB (interference) 10:38, Boyko KEN (cross checking) 19:47.
GAME DATA – SOG – Kenora 9-11-11-31, Thunder Bay 21-24-16-61; Power plays (goals-chances) – Kenora (1-1), Thunder Bay (1-2); Goaltenders – Kenora: Ethan Beattie, Thunder Bay: Rylan Benner; A: 190.
