THUNDER BAY – Nikolas Campbell wasn’t ready to go home yet, not by a long shot.
The veteran Thunder Bay North Stars forward pulled his best Conner McDavid impression on Wednesday night, scoring a natural hat trick – and adding an assist – as the North Stars erupted for five second-period goals to force a deciding Game 7 in their Superior International Junior Hockey League semifinal against the Dryden Ice Dogs.
Campbell, who started the season with the Amarillo Wrangers of the North American Hockey League, has 10 goals and 19 points in 11 playoff games and looked like the dominant, series-changing player the North Stars were hoping they were getting when they brought him back into the fold for the second half of 2022-23 in the 5-2, Game 6 triumph.
“You build up all year for this, right? It’s playoffs, it’s what brings out the best in players. I was happy I could perform for the boys,” Campbell said.
It was one of the most dominant playoff performances Thunder Bay coach Rob DeGagne can remember being involved in.
“He’s a player, and he’s a good leader. He’s a 20-year-old and you expect that from him, but the kid can shoot the puck, the kid can make plays, the kid can score. That’s why we brought him in and we’re happy he’s on our team,” DeGagne said.
The veteran coach was also pretty happy with defenceman Sam Skillestad, another NAHL mid-season transplant, who scored twice and added an assist.
However, individual accomplishments aside, Skillestad said all that matters now is Thursday night’s series finale, which switches venues from Fort William Gardens to the Dryden Memorial Arena.
“I think we’re really happy, coming out of that one, to be able to battle back in the series and make it tight, but I don’t think we’re satisfied yet,” the Montana native said.
Max Roby opened the scoring for Dryden in the first, beating rookie Keenan Marks at 14:49 of the opening period, the only goal of the stanza.
They held the lead for about nine minutes, before the North Stars onslaught began early in the second, Skillestad starting the ball rolling, leaning the other way while firing the puck over Dryden goaltender Eric Clark’s glove-hand to tie the score 1-1. Four minutes later Campbell’s big night began, as he came flying down the right side of the ice and unleashed a shot from the circle that Clark had no chance to stop.
No. 2 of his three-goal parade came on the power play, Campbell cutting across the front of Clark’s net, shooting once before depositing the rebound behind the Dryden goalie. The third goal, which ended Clark’s night, came on a wraparound chance, another two-shot tally.
“I just tried to wrap it around. The goalie got his pad out and I stuffed it again and it went over his pad. It was kind of lucky, but whatever gets it done,” Campbell said.
Skillestad’s second came late in the second, the Ice Dogs killing a five-minute spearing major that sent McLaren Paulsen to the showers, the goal coming with 32 seconds left in the period.
Dryden killed off the remaining 3:46 to open the third, but the damage was already done.
Roby added his second of the night, and fourth of the playoffs, just past the midway point of the final frame.
Marks made 25 saves to earn the win between the pipes, while Clark exited having made 26 stops on 30 shots, replaced by Zac MacDonald , who gave up one goal on 12 shots.
Game 7 is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday night.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Dryden, Roby 3 (Bardos, Benfield) 14:49. Penalties: Pearson TB (boarding) 12:31, Stromme DRY (charging) 16:48.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 2. Thunder Bay, Skillestad 3 (unassisted) 3:32. 3. Thunder Bay, Campbell 8 (Feist, Skillestad) 7:42. 4. Thunder Bay, Campbell (Winsor, Fuchs) 11:06 pp. 5. Thunder Bay, Campbell 10 (Feist, Fuchs) 17:37. 6. Thunder Bay, Skillestad 4 (Halushak, Campbell) 19:28 pp. Penalties: Biagi DRY (cross checking) 9:00, Clark DRY (delay of game, served by Bandura) 9:56, Stromme DRY (slashing) 13:32, Paulsen DRY (spearing major, game misconduct, served by Debray) 18:46.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 7. Dryden, Roby 4 (Rath) 10:17. Penalties: Campbell TB (cross checking) Frattinger DRY (boarding) 15:12, Debray DRY (interference) 15:50, Glousher TB (roughing), Debray DRY (cross checking) 19:12.
GAME DATA – SOG – Dryden 11-9-7-27, Thunder Bay 12-20-10-42; Power plays (goals-chances) – Dryden (0-1), Thunder Bay (2-6); Goaltenders – Dryden: Eric Clark (30 shots, 26 saves), Zac MacDonald (11:06, second); Thunder Bay: Keenan Marks; A: 701.
