Mintos forward Jacob Cossette plays the puck past Stars forward Rhett Briltz. (Jeff D'Andrea/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Mintos hockey

Murphy’s Law for the Mintos in defeat to Stars

Feb 2, 2022 | 9:00 PM

It took the Prince Albert Mintos just four minutes into Wednesday’s Sask U18 AAA Hockey League to figure out how frustrating and disappointing their night was going to be in their 5-0 defeat to the Battlefords Stars.

The Art Hauser Centre itself betrayed its Mintos’ home side as Stars’ defender Ryan Taylor dumped the puck in high off the glass, and Mintos’ goaltender Jayden Kraus went behind his net to play the puck like he’s done thousands of times. But the puck hit a stanchion in the corner and bounced right in front to Stars forward Rylan Williams, who will never score an easier goal in his life, and made it 1-0 just 4:02 into the game.

After the Mintos took a penalty well in the offensive zone, Jakin Lawrence picked a corner to make it 2-0. Then the weird and wacky stuff happened again late as Kraus lunged to freeze a rolling puck through the crease, but it evaded the goaltender’s trapper and Dawson Gerwing made the easy tap in for a 3-0 Stars’ advantage.

It didn’t get much better for the Mintos in the second, as Nate Monchuk scored the Stars’ second power-play goal midway through the frame to make it 4-0.

To add injury to insult, Mintos’ forward Ashton Tait tried to get his team back into the game and toe-dragged into the slot before suffering a high and late hit that went undetected by the officials. Tait did not return to the game in the third period.

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Stars’ Ayden Belanger then added insult to injury, as he crashed the net and made it 5-0 for the Stars, 2:32 into the third period.

Then with 2:22 left in the game, the Mintos had arguably two of their most dangerous forwards on a 2-on-1 rush, when the province’s leading scorer Jacob Cossette slid the puck over to Zach Bansley, who was robbed off the goalline by Stars’ goalie Rhett Harkot, who got a 29-save shutout. Bansley couldn’t believe it when the official signaled no goal.

But it was a Murphy’s Law kind of night for the Mintos, as they fell 5-0 to the Stars.

The Mintos (21-13-1) head to Warman to face the Wildcats on Friday, before heading to Saskatoon on Saturday to face the Contacts.

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Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW