In his first SJHL playoff game, Kristian Lyon stopped all 34 shots he faced for the shutout and the top-seeded Battlefords North Stars blanked the Nipawin Hawks 3-0 in the opening night of the SJHL Canalta Cup playoffs on Friday night.
Dalton Dosch was even busier at the other end, making 44/47 saves in goal for the Hawks.
Kaden Boser got the scoring started late in the first period, and the two teams skated to a scoreless second, before Jaxon Steele and Elijah Loon-Stewardson added third period markers.
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Donavan Houle-Villeneuve got his post-season off to a strong start, scoring twice and setting up one more, leading the Flin Flon Bombers to a 5-2 win over Humboldt.
Alec Malo chipped in with three assists, while Easton Haygarth, Mason Martin and Billy Klymchuk also found the net. Jacob Delorme made 35/37 saves in the win.
Tristan Shewchuk scored both goals for Humboldt, while Doug Scott assisted on both.
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The Melfort Mustangs out-shot the Estevan Bruins 45-19 but Keenan Rancier made 44/45 saves and the Bruins stole Game 1 with a 4-1 decision.
Troy Hamilton scored twice, while Griffin Asham-Moroz and Cody Davis each had a goal and an assist.
Christian Albertson scored a short-handed goal in the third period for the Mustangs.
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Like Estevan, the La Ronge Ice Wolves went on the road and won Game 1 of their series, with a convincing 6-1 win in Yorkton.
The Ice Wolves raced out to a 3-0 first period lead, as Jake Gudjonson scored just 31 seconds in. Grant Longtin (1g-1a) made it 1-0 and Daylon Mannon added a short-handed marker before the game was 20 minutes old. Holden Knights and Kevin Fillier (1g-1a) scored in the second and Ben Manson notched one more in the third, as La Ronge went 3/6 with the man advantage. Xavier Cannon turned away 28 of the 29 shots he faced.
Chantz Petruic struck for Yorkton on a second period powerplay.
Game 2 of all four SJHL Quarter-Final series’ will go Saturday night, staying in the same venues as Friday.