THUNDER BAY – When Easton Mikus scores, he likes to score them in bunches.
The rookie Thunder Bay North Stars forward earlier this season set a Superior International Junior Hockey League rookie record, tallying six times in a win over the expansion Kenora Islanders.
He didn’t get quite that many on Friday night, but did light the lamp twice in a 46-secnod span late in the third period to break open a one-goal game, the North Stars going scoring four times in the period to pull away and down the winless Fort Frances Lakers 6-2 at Fort William Gardens.
Mikus, a graduate of the Thunder Bay Kings, has nine goals in eight games this season and said it’s just great to be contributing, despite the team’s early-season struggles, the North Stars climbing back to .500 at 4-4-0 with the victory.
His Junior A success certainly caught the 16-year-old by surprise.
“Coming into the team I was just trying to help the boys and I wasn’t expecting as many points as I’m wracking up now. But the coach put me on a good line and they trusted me and we’re producing. So, I’m pretty happy with the way that it’s going and I just hope our line keeps it up,” Mikus said.
His new coach, Rob DeGagne, said he Mikus was bringing plenty of talent to the team, but had no idea his young recruit would be paying such important dividends this early in his SIJHL career.
After all, Mikus scored just 12 goals in 47 games for the U18 Kings last season, a number he’s threatening to match before Halloween in 2023-24.
Even when he’s not scoring, he’s contributing.
“He’s a good hockey player,” DeGagne said. “He sees the ice well. He plays a 200-foot game. Obviously, he works well with E.J. (Paddington) and Eddie (Weeks), but he’s got great vision. He won’t rush the play. He let’s the game come to him, sometimes. That’s sometimes half the battle, watching and seeing. Not everybody’s got that natural ability to do that.”
He can also be an opportunist, as he was against the Lakers (0-7-1).
Both goals came thanks to some dirty work put in by Paddington, who circled behind the net and got the puck out front to his waiting line-mate.
Mikus easily beat Fort Frances goaltender Gunner Paradis, who stood tall facing 21 North Stars shots in the first, but wore down in the final frame giving up three in a 76-second span, Cohen Tangdedal finishing off the scoring 30 seconds after Mikus’ second of the night.
It was a good finish, but the first couple of periods needs some work, acknowledged the freshman forward.
“We definitely came out to a slow start and the anger just built up throughout the game. We knew that we should be winning that game and it came to a point where we just started putting the puck in the back of the net and then we just rolled with it,” Mikus said.
The Lakers only needed 14 seconds to get on the board, taking the opening faceoff and controlling the play, allowing Clark Scaddan two chances at a bouncing rebound in front of North Stars goaltender Ethan Barran – the second one finding the twine.
Paddington evened things up six minutes later with his sixth of the season, but the Lakers got one back on the power play early in the second, taking a 2-1 lead. The one-goal advantage had a 78-second lifespan.
Owen Doherty took advantage of Paradis misplaying the puck, sweeping behind the Fort Frances net for the wraparound equalizer. The Stars took the lead for good 1:09 into the third on Connor O’Brien’s floater from inside the Lakers blueline that went untouched to light the lamp.
The Stars and Lakers will meet again on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
Kam River 9, Kenora 3: Carter Poddubny scored four times to lead the Fighting Walleye back into the win column. Brydon Bell had a goal and three assists for the visitors, who took a 5-3 lead into the third.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Fort Frances, Scaddan 1 (Krentz, Snooks) 0:14. 2. Thunder Bay, Paddington 6 (Mikus, Voisey) 6:24. Penalties: Couvier FFL (tripping) 1:53, O’Brien FF (slashing) 10:04, Mikus TB (roughing), Trahiotis (tripping) 11:45, Delaney FF (roughing) 16:04, Watt FF (interference) 18:58, Mikus TB (cross checking) 19:23,
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 3. Fort Frances, Kabel 1 (McPherson) 6:44 pp. 4. Thunder Bay, Doherty (Buffone) 8 :00. Penalties: Caddo TB (roughing) 4:49, Desjardins TB (roughing) 8:34, Snooks FFL (unsportsmanlike conduct) 12:03, O’Brien TB (hooking) 13:54, Skillestad TB (boarding) 16:06, Kempf FFL (checking from behind, misconduct), Watt FF (head contact, misconduct), Dial TB (roughing, cross checking) 17:13.
THIRD
Scoring: 5. Thunder Bay, O’Brien 2 (Trahiotis, Jordan) 1:09. 6. Thunder Bay, Mikus 8 (Paddington) 13:20. 7. Thunder Bay, Mikus 9 (Paddington, Caddo) 14:06. 8. Thunder Bay, Tangedal 1 (Trahiotis, Voisey) 14:36. Penalties: Glousher TB (hooking) 6:33, McPherson FFL (cross checking) 6:46, Snooks FFL (misconduct) 14:36
GAME DATA – SOG – Fort Frances 12-14-12-38, Thunder Bay 21-11-13-45; Power plays (goals-chances) – Fort Frances (1-9), Thunder Bay (0-7); Goaltenders – Fort Frances: Gunnar Paradis, Thunder Bay: Ethan Barron; A: 442.
