So close, and yet so far. The Battlefords North Stars had their chances to win Game Three, but the La Ronge Ice Wolves stood their ground when it mattered most, and earned a 5-4 victory over the Stars in Game Three.
The Wolves went 3-5 on the power-play, and used it to their strength early on. Taylor Piller opened the scoring for the Wolves when Dan Conacher's initial shot was stopped by Kyle Birch, but the puck remained visible between Birch's feet. Piller poked it home for a 1-0 lead.
Chad Filteau got the Stars back even with a great wrap-around effort at 14:59 of the first period. Filteau's fourth of the playoffs was assisted by Brett Miller and Mitch Wall.
Early in the second, the Wolves power-play clicked again. The Stars had a chance to clear the puck up the left side of the ice, but Mike Alexander held the line, made one move to dance by a defender, and then slid a perfect pass to Marc-Andre Carre at the side of the net for an easy 2-1 goal. Moments later Travis Eggum scored off his own rebound, and the Stars were quickly down 3-1.
The Wolves dominated the second period for the most part. Kyle Birch made some impressive saves off of Leo Lecourciere and Doug Lindensmith, and the Stars were pinned in their own zone until the mid-way point of the period.
Halfway through the period, the Star's luck appeared to change. On a delayed penalty, the Star's scored to make it 3-2. But the referees (Keith Macintosh and Regan Vetter) had a conference, and dissallowed the goal.
The reasoning: On the delayed penalty, Kyle Birch left his net to come to the bench, but apparently wasn't close enough to the Star's bench to warrant Tony Oak heading onto the ice as the extra-attacker. The goaltender must be within 10 feet of the bench in order for a player to head onto the ice. The refs told Pearson that Kyle was only at his own blueline (not true) and that is why the goal didn't count.
The Stars were however given a 5-3 power-play for 25 seconds, and were unable to take advantage of it. The Stars would finish the game 0-7.
Early in the third, the Ice Wolves took a 4-1 lead thanks to their power-play (again). Doug Lindensmith put home a Ben Findlay rebound, and the Stars trailed 4-3.
But the Stars didn't quit. Halfway through the period, Ward Szucki (3) scored on a two-on-one wih Blake Tatchell to make it 4-2. Then Brody Malek made it 4-3, after a terrific shift by the Watt, Tomac, Oak line as they cycled the puck around down low and Malek brought the puck out from the corner and deked Bartko.
A minute later, the Stars came in on a three-on-two. Szucki skated across the blue-line a long the right side of the ice, and rifled a wrist-shot stick-side on Bartko.
DING! Goalpost.
Marc-Andre Carre picked up the puck and skated it back in the other direction, made a one-on-one move to the middle, and then launched a wrister over the shoulder of Kyle Birch to give the Wolves a 5-3 lead.
The Star's weren't done.
Jesse Lebreton scored his first of the playoffs with 19 seconds left and the Star's net empty to make it 5-4.
Then the Star's forced a faceoff in the offensive zone with eight seconds remaining. Off the faceoff, the puck went into the corner of the Wolves end. Blake Peake forced hte puck free, threw it out in front to Mitch Wall, who was denied by the right pad of Adam Bartko. Game over, Wolves win.
Afterwards, Ken Pearson said that he had a "sour taste" in his mouth due to the disallowed goal. However he was also quick to bring up 'special teams' as the ultimate difference in the game.
The Wolves finished 3-5 on their power-play while the Stars went 0-7.
Wednesday's Game Four by default becomes the most important game of the Star's season.
The game preview will be posted shortly.
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