The Battlefords North Stars have earned one of two possible points so far on this road-trip, and tonight they gun for two more. Tonight the Stars head to Melville for their final meeting of the regular season with the Melville Millionaires. The Mils are fighting for their playoff lives down south, while the Stars are looking to create some more separation from Flin Flon, while creeping closer to third place in the Bauer Conference.
NELVILLE MILLIONAIRES
Record: 20-24-1-2
Overview:
Jamie Fiesel's team is currently locked in a battle with the Notre Dame Hounds for the fifth and final playoff spot in the Sherwood Conference. The two teams are tied in points with 43, but the 'Mils have three games in hand. They'll use one of those games tonight against the Stars.
Who's Up Front:
The Melville Millionaires made a statement before the January 10th deadline when they dealt their two top forwards to the Melfort Mustangs. Now that Braydon Metz and Cody Hanson are out of the picture, the Millionaires are now relying on the likes of Lucas Froese and Roger Tagoona to lead the charge offensively. Froese leads the team with 34 points in 36 games and Tagoona has 32 in 46.
Who's on D:
Tyson Newell is the offensive catalyst for the Millionaires on the back-end. He leads all Melville D-men with 21 points in 35 games. I haven't seen a ton of Newell this season, but the times I have seen him, he has stood out at both sides of the ice.
Who's in Goal:
17-year-old Zach Rakochy gets the call tonight for the Millionaires. Rakochy is 13-13-1 on the year and has a solid save percentage of .906 with a goals against of 3.55.
X-Factor:
When Michael Desjarlais is on, he's dangerous. Desjarlais has 28 points in 47 games, and has shown that he can provide solid offensive minutes when needed. He has 14 goals, and is one of those players that can fly under the radar and contribute. The Stars will need to bring their best effort defensively against an underrated group of young Melville forwards.
BATTLEFORDS NORTH STARS:
Record: 23-24-2-1
Overview:
The Battlefords North Stars clawed their way back and forced overtime last night in Yorkton and earned a valuable point. After the game though Ken Pearson was anything but happy. He was adamant that a better effort will be needed this time around. If the Stars go home with three of four, he'll be content. If they go home with one of four, then the road-trip can be considered a disappointment.
Who's Up Front:
20-year-old forward Keith Grondin was outstanding in last night's game in Yorkton. Grondin notched four goals including the game-tying marker. According to Ken Pearson, Grondin kept it simple and simply "shot the puck" when he had the chance to. Grondin leads the Stars with 32 goals, and is now the third North Star this season to reach the 50-point plateau.
Who's on D:
Travis Sparrow will never wow you offensivley, but defensively he has been one of the most steady North Stars all year. Sparrow makes a good first pass, protects his goaltender well, and in recent games has blocked more shots (in my opinion) than any other player on the team.
Who's in Goal:
Graham Hildebrand likely gets the call tonight for the Stars given the fact that Kyle Birch was the hard-luck overtime loser in last night's game. Hildebrand is 8-12 with a save percentage of .885 and he has a goals against of 4.20.
X-Factor:
Ken Pearson mentioned on the post-game show that certain North Star forwards were 'passengers' on the ice against Yorkton. Those players surely know who they are, and will have the chance to bounce-back tonight with a better effort. If the Stars can bring a collective effort up-front, and get scoring from more than just one line, they should be in a great position to win in Melville.
The puck drops at 7:30. Catch the broadcast live on CJNB/CJNS starting at 7:15.
***More Road-Trip Chronicles Will be Posted Closer to Game-Time. Stay tuned.***
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