Bobcats Set Sights on Advancement as Series Shifts to Brookings
Matchup: Bismarck Bobcats (37-19-4, 1st Central) vs Brookings Blizzard (25-29-6, 4th Central)
Games: Friday, April 22, 7:30pm; Saturday, April 23, 7:30pm (if necessary)
Venue: Larson Ice Center, Brookings, S.D.
Series: Bobcats lead series 2-0
Regular Season Series: Bobcats won series 8-2-2
All-Time: Bobcats lead Blizzard 28-13-4 (5-0 in playoffs)
Radio: SuperTalk 1270 AM, SuperTalk1270.com and the radioPup smartphone app, 7:00pm both nights
Internet TV: http://NAHL.FASTHockey.com, 7:00pm both nights
BROOKINGS, SD – Needing just one win to advance to the second round of the 2016 Robertson Cup Playoffs, the Bismarck Bobcats travel to Larson Ice Center to continue the Central Division Semifinals against the Brookings Blizzard starting with Game Three on Friday.
After holding serve on home ice to grab a 2-0 series lead, the Cats can return to the Central Division Finals with one more victory.
That series edge came thanks in large part to the Bobcat power play, converting five of 11 man advantages last weekend to provide half of the team’s postseason offense so far.
“Our power play put up great numbers but, as a staff, we’d like to see more consistency from it over the course of a game,” assessed Bobcats head coach and general manager Layne Sedevie. “After a great first period Friday, our ‘PP’ took a step back in the second and third; if they’re able to get one more goal deeper into the game and they’d have put it away, right there.”
Aaron Herdt and Willie Brown each scored twice on the power play in the first two games of the series; Brown tops the Bobcat playoff scoring list with six points total (2g, 4a).
Bobcat goalie Hunter Shepard has turned away 56 of 61 shots sent his way in the playoffs to post a 2-0 record.
Brookings has also found major success on the power play, notching three of their five goals in the series while a Bobcat player served a minor penalty, with two coming from Mikael Hakkarainen. The Blizzard enter the weekend tied for third league-wide in playoff power play efficiency at 33.3%.
Despite an 0-2 mark, netminder Josh Kuemichel has made 58 saves of his own for the Blizzard over the course of the first two games.
Friday’s road playoff game will be broadcast live locally on SuperTalk 1270, KLXX-AM, the radio home of Bobcat Hockey, and worldwide online at NAHL.FASTHockey.com—the official web television partner of the North American Hockey League—with pregame coverage starting at 7:00pm.
Tickets are now on sale for the Cats’ run in the 2016 Robertson Cup Playoffs and are already going fast! Lock in yours for the entire playoff run by signing up for 2016-17 season tickets today.