The Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN) Flames shrank the gap between themselves and the first-place Opaskwayak, Cree Nation (OCN) Storm in the Keystone Junior Hockey League standings with a pair of lopsided road wins against the last-place Norway House North Stars Dec. 7-8.
William Young and Keith Blacksmith both had hat tricks while Trent North and Jason Ouskan had two goals apiece for the Flames in a 12-1 victory Friday night. Henry Muchikekwanape and Keenan Keeper had NCN’s other goals. Richard Ducharme had the only goal for the North Stars in the opening period to tie the game after Blacksmith had given the Flames a 1-0 lead. NCN scored five times in the second period and six in the third for the win. All the goals in the game except for Young’s second, scored on a power play with 93 seconds left before the second intermission, came at even strength.
Shots were 46-33 for the Flames, who got 32 saves from Braedin Melsted. Taylor McLeod stopped 34 in net for Norway House.
The Flames kept up their torrid goal-scoring pace in the rematch Dec. 8, getting five first period goals en route to a 12-3 win, their eighth in 10 games this season.
Blacksmith, Jonathan Saunders and Muchikekwanape had two goals apiece, with Jayden Paul, Young, North, Dustin Parker, Chase Muswagon and Michael Venne adding singles. The Flames were up 6-0 by the time Darian Brown scored his first of two goals for the North Stars in the second period. Elvis Balfour had the other goal for Norway House.
The Flames have 17 points in 10 games while the first-place Storm have 22 point in 14 games so far. NCN is two points ahead of the Peguis Juniors, who have seven wins in 15 games, while the Cross Lake Islanders are five points behind Peguis. The North Stars have only a single win so far.
The Flames take on the Juniors Dec. 13 at the C.A. Nesbitt Arena in Thompson and Dec. 14 at the Gilbert McDonald Arena in Nelson House, then meet the same team Dec. 21-22 in Peguis for their last games before the Christmas break. Their season resumes Jan. 3-4 in Thompson and Nelson House when they host the Storm.
