WARRENDALE — Mars forward Ian Houk-Graves started to fall toward the ice after carrying the puck over the blue line.

Houk-Graves flicked a shot toward Keystone Oaks goaltender Jonathan Mead as he fell on his butt. That shot gave the Planets' hockey team a boost.

It found the back of the net and was the first of two goals in the span of a minute that helped Mars earn a 5-0 non-conference hockey win over Keystone Oaks Monday night at BladeRunners.

“I just got new skates, so that got me off-balance,” Houk-Graves said. “We were trying to get more shots and get the team going. I just tried to put it to the net and things happen when you do that.”

Houk-Graves, who had the bottoms break off his old skates, thinks it will take three weeks to a month to find his balance.

Mars, which is 7-1 and winner of six straight, feels it needs to find its footing as a unit. Houk-Graves and Planets coach Steve Meyers were unsatisfied with their performance.

The Planets out-shot Keystone Oaks (1-6) 49-10, but didn't score in the second period. Mars struggled to create dangerous chances and took five penalties.

Mead made 44 stops in net for the Golden Eagles.

“We've had a problem all year and even last year, playing down to teams we should beat,” Meyers said. “That goalie stood on his head and we didn't get to our system and it almost bit us. We think we can be better and should be better.”

Keaton Hanna opened up the scoring for Mars, banging in a rebound on Mead's stick-side 24 seconds into the game.

Houk-Graves followed with his two goals in the next seven minutes.

In the second period, Keystone Oaks' Josh Gunia scored after forcing a turnover, but it was waved off because the referee didn't see it cross the line.

Gunia stole the puck a few feet in front of Spreng, who finished with 10 saves, and lifted it into the net behind the crossbar.

The puck bounced back out and it was ruled it never crossed the line.

Keystone Oaks had two 5-on-3 power plays to start the third period, but couldn't find a way to score.

“I'll tell you one thing, Mars blocks shots very well,” Golden Eagles coach John McCarthy said. “It seemed like every time someone took a shot, they clogged the lane up. We couldn't get it to the goalie.”

Paul Maust scored on a wrist shot from the slot with 11 minutes remaining.

Kyle Thomas, who also had three assists, flipped the puck over a sprawling Mead with 2:12 remaining to close the scoring.

Houk-Graves believes the Planets will need to turn in better performances to keep winning.

“I think we all need to start working more as a team,” Houk-Graves said. “We tend to play down to their level. We should be up top. I don't know what it is, our attitude changes, we have to get over it somehow.”