Lucas Punkari
The Sioux Lookout Flyers have given the Fort Frances Lakers fits throughout the 2011-12 regular season.
But the Lakers had no such trouble with the Flyers here last night, skating away with a 4-2 victory in their penultimate contest before the playoffs.
After falling behind 2-1 late in the first period, the Lakers regained the lead with a pair of goals during the first four-and-a-half minutes of the second period.
Then they dominated play from there on out to win their second-straight game and their third-consecutive on home ice.
“Early on I wasn’t pleased with how the defensive side of things were going as the chances that we allowed were mostly as a result of some costly turnovers,” said Lakers’ head coach and general manager Wayne Strachan.
“However, we became a little more physical as the game continued, and allowing no goals after the first period is always a plus,” he added.
“All in all, it was a good effort as Sioux Lookout is a team like [the] Dryden [Ice Dogs] that we are up and down against,” noted Strachan.
“And going into the playoffs, it’s always good to get a extra boost of confidence.”
Lakers’ captain Byron Katapaytuk led the way with a pair of goals and an assist, giving the third-year forward 83 points to sit three ahead of the Flyers’ Anthony Wolfe in the race for the SIJHL scoring title.
“Tonight I think Byron worked very hard and he was very intense,” Strachan noted.
“I know that probably in the back of his mind he has the scoring race there, especially with playing the two guys right behind him [Wolfe and Chris Hoffman].
“He made some great individual efforts on his two goals, and his linemates [Ryan Wildman and Jordan Christianson] complement him well.
“They have been a key for us here in the last couple of months,” said Strachan.
Christianson scored a goal and assisted on one of Katapaytuk’s markers for a two-point night, with Merritt Rysavy also tallying for the Lakers.
Goalie Tanner Hamilton rebounded after giving up early goals to Hoffman and Tanner Duffney, making 25 saves for his 13th win of the season.
After holding their annual awards banquet tonight at the Adventure Inn, the Lakers return to the ice tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. to wrap up their regular-season slate against the Thunder Bay North Stars.
Saturday’s game also will mark the Lakers’ first meeting against new North Stars’ head coach Lonny Bohonis, who replaced long-time bench boss Todd Howarth nearly a month ago.
“I don’t expect a lot of changes from them,” Strachan said.
“I expect [they’ll] play a little bit more of an offensive-style game given what I know about Lonny and the way his style of coaching is, as opposed to the strong defensive style of play that Todd had.
“Nonetheless, we have to come and play against them on Saturday night as they could be a team that we may run into and have to go through in the playoffs,” he stressed.
