Joey Payeur
Maybe the passing of the CJHL trade deadline has everyone in the Fort Frances Lakers’ dressing room in a more peaceful frame of mind.
Whatever it is, the Lakers haven’t lost since the nation-wide junior hockey roster freeze—claiming both of their SIJHL home games over the weekend to match their season-high winning streak at three games.
The Lakers used a three-goal second period, along with 40 saves by Brandon Bodnar, in blanking the Thief River Falls Norskies 5-0 on Friday before scoring four in the middle frame the following night en route to a 7-3 win over the Minnesota Iron Rangers.
Julian Uhryniuk’s return from a 15-game absence due to a broken ankle suffered Nov. 10 against the English River Miners sparked the fifth-place Lakers (14-13-2-3) against the third-place Norskies (17-14-2-3).
Uhryniuk and linemates, Matt Tustin and Tyler Malpass, accounted for all three goals in the second period to chase reigning SIJHL player-of-the-week Kross Braaten from the Norskies’ net.
“Getting Julian back really sparked that line,” said Lakers’ head coach and general manager Wayne Strachan, whose team’s offence has relied almost solely on the top line of Jared Virtanen, Dylan Kooner, and Jack Bernie for much of the season.
“It’s good to see him return and get that line back on track,” he added.
Jaden Gustafson had the only goal of the first while Malpass closed out the scoring in the third.
Meanwhile, both of the Lakers’ trade deadline pick-ups paid dividends Saturday night.
New goalie Jessie Heisz had 24 saves to pick up the win in his debut after coming from the Forest Lake (Mn.) Lakers of the USPHL Elite league.
And forward Brett Pickler’s second game with his new team saw him get his first goal as a Laker.
Pickler deftly redirected Mark Richter’s point shot past Iron Rangers’ goalie Jackson Nelson on the power play to make it 7-2.
Virtanen, who saw his 15-game point-scoring streak snapped against Thief River Falls, wasted no time starting a new run by netting two goals and an assist against the last-place Iron Rangers (6-25-2).
Malpass, Dominick Allan, Jack Bernie, and Matt Cheetham were the other goal scorers.
Clayton Brown, Eli Kinsman, and Sheamus Stoyle replied for Minnesota.
The Lakers were without forwards Tanner Garnham (upper body) and Austin Petrie (ankle) for in both games.
Defenceman Brandon Zajicek also missed Saturday’s game after being suspended for at least one game due to getting a major and game misconduct for a cross-check he delivered at the end of the second period against Thief River Falls.
Strachan was waiting until at least today to find out if Zajicek’s suspension will be extended.
The Lakers next face the Thunder Bay North Stars, who are 6-0 against Fort Frances this season, in a home-and-home series this week.
They’ll head to the Lakehead on Wednesday before hosting the second-place North Stars (23-10-2) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena.
