ABERDEEN, S.D.–Even the best hockey teams have bad losses.
That message prevailed following a 4-1 loss in Aberdeen Friday, a defeat which snapped the team’s seven-game winning streak. Despite both the Bismarck Bobcats and Aberdeen Wings recording 35 shots on goal, the game had a one-sided feel throughout.
“They outworked us,” said Layne Sedevie, Bobcats head coach. “Flat-out. They wanted it more.”
Bismarck’s lone goal came with 1:31 remaining in the third period, an Owen Michaels wrist shot from the middle of the ice. Not only that, the Bobcats doubled up the Wings in shots during the frame.
The offensive breakthrough carried over into a 5-2 win Saturday at the Odde Ice Center. However, all seemed destined for a repeat of Friday when Aberdeen’s Jacob Bosse scored on an individual effort only 1:11 after puck drop.
“We came out in the first six minutes and tried to lose the weekend,” Sedevie said. “(Then) we found a way to rebound, keep it simple, and start playing hockey.”
The jump-start the offensive unit needed came in the final four minutes of the opening period. Ben Troumbly scored on a drive to the net, then Calvin Hanson took advantage of an unforced error beside the Aberdeen goal to give the Bobcats their first lead of the weekend.
A 2-1 lead after one period ballooned into 5-1 after two. Quinn Rudrud scored his 25th goal of the season on a power play. Nico Chmelevski followed with two goals before the intermission.
“I am glad the guys responded,” Sedevie said. “That is the one thing I am proud of. Good feather in their cap for that.”
The Bobcats’ five straight goals is their third such run this season. Bismarck scored five consecutive times in a span of about seven minutes back in November–also on the road against the Wings.
When the buzzer sounded in Aberdeen, the two points awarded to the Bobcats put them ahead of North Iowa in the Central division standings. Bismarck now stands in fifth place with 49 points, and is five back of Minot for the final playoff spot with ten games remaining.
“We will find a way,” Sedevie said. “This group is going to be challenged. We need to find a way to play the way we did the last 50 minutes here. If they can do that, I like our chances.”
With the split, the Bobcats now lead the Wings 6-4 in the season series, and have won four of the five games at the Odde Ice Center.
NEXT GAME UP
The Bobcats play their only two-game series in Minot this weekend. Both Friday and Saturday’s games will begin at 7:35 PM. Follow along live on SuperTalk 1270, HockeyTV (subscription required), or through the live box score on our website.
NOTES
The Bobcats have won 8 of their last 9 games, and 13 of 18.
Bismarck’s three second-period goals are no fluke. The team has scored 64 goals in that period this season, fifth-most in the North American Hockey League.
With their fourth win in Aberdeen Saturday, the Bobcats clinched a winning record at the Odde Ice Center for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
The Bobcats’ power play has scored in five of its last six games. Over that span, the unit is 5-for-18.
Layne Sedevie’s magic number of three continues to hold true: when allowing three or fewer goals, the Bobcats are 21-4.