Dan Falloon
After a lacklustre performance, sometimes the easiest remedy is to strap on the skates again the next night.
The Fort Frances Lakers (12-26-5) proved that on Saturday night, upending the host Sioux Lookout Flyers 5-4 in overtime one night after being spanked 6-0 by the Fort William North Stars here.
After suffering back-to-back home shutouts, starting with a 1-0 shootout loss to the Dryden Ice Dogs last Tuesday, the Lakers stopped their scoreless streak at 135:52 on Saturday night.
Defenceman Ryan Presthus, who entered the game with five assists on the season, was the unlikely hero with the overtime marker to go along with two helpers.
But it was captain Tyler Stevenson’s 16th goal of the campaign, which came with just one second left in regulation time, that gave the Lakers the chance to turn a sure loss into a stunning victory.
The Lakers attacked the Flyers early, beating Sioux Lookout goalie Jordan Giguere twice in the first period while outshooting the hosts 15-6.
After Justin Erhart had opened the scoring, Blake Boaz’s power-play marker 1:28 later staked the Lakers to a 2-0 first-period lead.
But the Flyers turned the tables in the second, outshooting Fort Frances 18-9.
Nathan Brown got the Flyers on the board just over four minutes into the period when he beat Lakers’ netminder T.J. Pocock.
Mike Jourdain replied at the 17-minute mark to give Fort Frances the 3-1 lead heading into the third.
That’s when the Flyers struck back. Chase Dobranski pulled Sioux Lookout to within one at 2:01 before Brown’s second of the game knotted things at 4:56.
The Flyers then went into the lead at 14:15 when Logan McDonell beat Pocock.
But the Lakers found a way to force overtime as Stevenson beat Giguere with one tick left on the clock.
Presthus’ first of the season then came just 30 seconds into overtime.
Sioux Lookout fell to 19-25-3 with the loss.
Pocock made 32 saves to earn his second win of the season while Giguere turned aside 34.
It was a much different story here Friday night as the Lakers could get absolutely nothing going against Fort William, mustering only 13 shots, including just one in the third period.
Ryan Magill opened the scoring at 7:35, beating Jameson Shortreed after being fed an alley-oop cross-crease pass from Dustin Fummerton.
Ryan Pearson made it 2-0 just 1:40 later, firing the puck short side under Shortreed’s right arm.
In the second, Mitch Forbes blasted a slapper into the net on Fort William’s only power play of the game.
Cody Lund then put Fort William ahead by four with just 31 seconds left in the frame when his wrister beat Shortreed high.
The North Stars iced the game on third-period goals by Jordan Davis and Sam Dubinsky.
Shortreed stopped 39 of 45 shots he faced while Guillaume Piché earned the shutout with 13 saves.
The Lakers continue their road swing with another date in Sioux Lookout on Wednesday night.
Their next home action comes Feb. 16 when those same Flyers visit the Ice For Kids Arena.
