The Prince Albert Mintos didn’t get the start they were looking for at the Art Hauser Centre on Wednesday, but their play over the next 59 minutes more than made up for it.
The Mintos gave up a goal 19 seconds into the first period, but responded with six goals of their own in a 6-2 win over the Battlefords Stars. It was the second straight win for the Mintos, and their fifth in six games.
“Outside the first 30 seconds, I thought we were really good,” Mintos coach Doan Smith said afterward. “It’s neat when we get rolling and we can play our full line-up. (When) we can show off the depth of our team we’re going to be really tough to beat.”
The Mintos benefited from a bevy of powerplay opportunities, including a what could have been a full two-minute 5-on-3 after Battlefords received a bench minor with 37 seconds left in the first.
Prince Albert responded with two powerplay goals—including the winner by captain Simon Garchinski less than one minute into the second—and scored another on a delayed penalty.
“Everyone was going,” Garchinski said when asked about his team’s play. “It’s good that everyone contributed … and our goalie (Jayden Blanchette) stood on his head, so it was really good.”
“Our PK has always been good, which we’re proud of. Our power play is kind of hot (and) cold,” Smith added. “Tonight we get two big powerplay goals—a 5-on-3 goal and a 5-on-4 goal—so we’re proud of those guys in getting it done when it matters. That’s when you lean on your top players to contribute and they did so tonight.”
The Stars continued to press after the first goal of the game, outshooting the Mintos 9-4 by the midway point of the first period. However, the Mintos responded with two goals in the next 10 minutes, plus two more goals in the second to take a commanding lead heading into the third.
“I think we just put it behind us,” Garchinski said when asked about the team’s response to the opening goal. “Stuff like that happens—bad bounces and stuff like that. You’ve just got to move on from it and continue to play your game and don’t let it affect you too much. I think we did a good job with that.”
The Stars threw a scare into the hometown crowd with a goal five minutes into the third period, but that was as close as they got. The Mintos piled on the pressure, outshooting the visitors 19-10 in the final frame, and scoring two more goals.
Smith said the Mintos showed a lot of composure after the Stars made it a two goal game.
“We’re an older team this year,” Smith said. “They’ve been through it. They’ve seen highs and lows. We (the coaches) don’t have to bark. We don’t have to yell at them. They know when they need to bare down and get it done and tonight’s an example of that.
“They get one to make it 4-2, they could crawl back into it, and we go out and get a couple more. Again, that’s a resilient older group that’s starting to figure it out. As we do that, we’re going to be tough to beat.”
Kash Alger-East opened the scoring for the Stars 19 seconds into the first period. Waylong Gardipy intercepted a Minto breakout pass and fed Caleb Pockrant, who setup Alger-East for a tap-in at the side of the Prince Albert goal to make it 1-0.
Brock Kolibab made it 1-1 with 7:21 to play in the period when he deflected Staiden Parenteau’s point shot into the Stars goal on a delayed penalty.
Prince Albert made it 2-1 with just under two minutes to play. Carter Cole attempted a shot in the slot but checked. The puck slid to a wide-open William Chabot at the side of the net and he deposited it into a wide open goal.
Garchinski added to the Minto lead on the powerplay when he one-timed a point shot past Stars goalie Luke Norman just 52 seconds into the second period. Luke Senick made it 4-1 Prince Albert with 13:48 to play when he slid the puck past Norman during a goalmouth scramble.
Dawson Gamble made it 4-2 Prince Albert roughly five minutes into the third when he fired a rebound past a sprawling Blanchette.
The Mintos regained their three goal lead on the powerplay. Senick added his second of the game when he tipped in Garchinski’s point shot with 6:25 to play.
Lincoln Rogers added some insurance when he beat Norman high glove side for a short-handed marker at 3:55.
Blanchette finished with 35 saves in the Minto goal to earn the win, while Norman stopped 33 shots for the Stars.
The Mintos are off until Saturday when they take on the Yorkton Maulers at the Art Hauser Centre. Puck drop is 7 p.m.
