The Bismarck Bobcats played 3 games in a span of 4 days against the Aberdeen Wings in the Central Division Semi-Finals.
Friday night was in Aberdeen and the Bobcats came out of the gates with intensity. Just 91 seconds into the contest, Keanu Krenn was the recipient of a feed from Tommy Cronin as he fired it home far side to give the Bobcats the early lead. Aberdeen would be awarded a power play midway through the period and in the dying seconds draw even at 1. Neither team would find the back of the net in the remainder of the period and we would head into the 2nd even at 1. Shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes read 12-10 favoring the Bobcats.
The 2nd period saw the Bobcats get out to another good start early. Drew Roelofs fired one off the end wall and Jakub Kopecky was there to pound home the rebound at the crease to restore the Bobcats lead. Penalties filled that middle frame, but neither team was able to convert. The Bobcats would head into the 3rd period with the 2-1 lead. Shots on goal in the 2nd were 11-8 Wings.
The 3rd was a tale of two halves. The opening 10-12 minutes the Bobcats exhibited great game management, keeping the puck away from Aberdeen. However, later in the period, the Wings regained their footing and began to breathe some life. Due to some key shot blocking and incredible goaltending from Tomas Anderson, the Bobcats would hold on, tack on an empty net and skate away with the 3-1 victory to cut the Wings series lead and stay alive.
Moving ahead to Saturday’s game, it was a BARN BURNER. Both teams traded goals, chances, power plays, and O-Zone pressure. In the opening period, Aberdeen would strike just over 2 minutes in and give themselves the 1-0 lead. In a do or die game 4, the co-captain Ian Engel outwaited a defender and sniped one home to tie the game at 1, midway through the opening frame. The game would remain tied heading into the 2nd with a high shot total for both teams in the opening period, which Bismarck slimly lead 17-15.
Aberdeen came out with a lot of pep in their step in the 2nd period, outshooting the Bobcats 11-0 in the opening 12 minutes. Within that 12 minutes, the Wings regained the lead courtesy of a shot from the left-wing circle as Tomas Anderson was attempting to get back in position. However, the Bobcats have been resilient all season and it was one of the young guns, Nick Snyder, capitalizing on an incredible shot from the top of the right-wing circle, beating Damon Cunningham high-blocker to tie the game back up at 2. Aberdeen outshot Bismarck 14-7 in the middle frame, as we headed into the 3rd period tied up.
Once again it would be the Wings, just 82 seconds into the 3rd period, regaining the lead on a breakdown in coverage from the Bobcats. With their backs against the wall, the Bobcats once again fought back and tied the game up with 5:55 remaining in the 3rd period. Julian Beaumont worked his way down low and fired one home just before the net became dislodged. After video review it was determined that the goal would stand. This forced the game into overtime as the Bobcats outshot Aberdeen 10-9 in the 3rd period.
In the 1st overtime, the Wings outshot the Cats 13-8, but both goaltenders stood tall and made sure no mistakes were made, meaning we were headed to Double OT. Just over halfway into the 5th period, Krenn on the wrap-around was able to tuck the puck home into the back of the net and force a game 5 for the Cats in Bismarck on Monday.
Monday night, back in Bismarck in front of a near sell-out at the VFW, the Bobcats and Wings faced off in a winner-take-all contest. The 1st period was nearly identical. Aberdeen outshot the Bobcats 9-8, no team found the back of the net, and each team registered a power play. In the 2nd half of that opening period Aberdeen outshot Bismarck 7-1.
The middle period was where the game became wide open. Engel once again was able to find the back of the net, nearly 4 minutes into the period as he sniped it home for his 2nd goal in as many games. However, the next shift, the Wings responded with a goal of their own to tie the game up at 1 with 15 minutes still remaining in the 2nd period. They would use that momentum to strike again on a breakaway less than 3 minutes later to take a 2-1 lead over the Bobcats. Bismarck needed a response and they got a big one with 5 minutes left, Krenn once again got himself to the front of the net and pounded home a shot high-glove on Damon Cunningham to tie the game up at 2. The Bobcats would be burned once again as 40 seconds later a rebound was given on the initial shot and fired home by the Wings as they took the lead right back. All season, this Bobcats team has had a never-quit mentality and that continued as Kim was able to strike once again, this time on the power play to tie the game up at 3 with a minute and a half remaining in the 2nd period.
Moving ahead to the 3rd period, the energy and tension was high at the VFW. Whoever won the period would move on and face the Austin Bruins in the 2nd round. Both teams traded chances, but everything changed with 7:30 to go in the 3rd. Bobcat Forward Jakub Kopecky was whistled for a 5 minute major penalty as Aberdeen would head to the power play. The Bobcats began killing it off, before a scrum ensued in the Bobcat zone. Owen Pitters was called for a double minor, roughing was the call to even the sides up at 4. During that 4 on 4, Josh Lehto carried the puck into the zone and sniped it far side to give the Bobcats the 4-3 lead. Wings Defenseman Briggs Orr would take a stick up high, no call was initially made as he went back to the dressing room, however, as the whistle blew for a puck out of play, a double-minor for high sticking was given to Engel, 30 seconds after the infraction occurred. The Bobcats dug deep and killed off a 6 on 4 with Aberdeen’s goalie pulled and sealed the deal with an empty net goal to move on to the Central Division Finals.
The Bobcats will be back on home ice this Friday and Saturday for Games 1 & 2 against Austin. Tickets are now on sale for those games, be sure to log onto www.bismarckbobcats.com or call the Bobcat Hotline at 390-7422! We look forward to seeing you this weekend!