The win has given the North Stars a healthy lead over the rest of the pack, albeit they have played more games than most.

The first two periods were a goal-fest for both teams, with some lucky, pretty and frustrating goals going in at either end.

Matt Ezzy started the match despite having the flu and he probably wished he wasn’t in the first period when he was rushed by the Knights forwards, who were hungry to score.

Steven Kaye was the most impressive for Newcastle, scoring four goals and two assists, while Adrian Saul tallied two and two for his own records.

Once again the youth squad came through for the North Stars with Adam Kimbley and Matt Lindsay both scoring goals.

The trip to Canberra is always a tough one with a six or seven-hour bus ride, foll-owed by game preparations and quiet time.

The Knights didn’t take long to wake up, scoring on their first power play attempt less than five minutes into the game.

Newcastle responded with Steven Kaye’s first but Canberra quickly took the lead again.

Steve Kaye and Adrian Saul righted the North Stars ship to win the period 3-2.

The Knights were deadly on the power play at home and scored in the first 30 seconds of the power play on a Sean Oultram penalty.

Canberra scored twice more in the period on the power play, but goals by Saul and Kimbley equalised the game by the end of the second period.

In the third period, the North Stars took the game away from the Knights, with Lindsay scoring the clincher, and two more insurance goals from Kaye.

The win put the North Stars on 19 points from their eight games.

Nearest are the Ice Dogs with 13 points from seven games, however, the Adelaide Adrenaline are perfect on 12 points from four games in third.

Blue Tongues (11 from eight), Knights (eight from seven) and Ice (seven from six) are all holding out for a top-four spot while the Bears are in big trouble with two points from eight games – a big disap-pointment for the team that won the minor premiership in 2008.

“Adelaide are the team to watch in the long term,” coach Don Champagne said.

The North Stars will repeat their ACT trip on Saturday, May 30, before returning home on June 6 for the next home game against the Bears.