AUSTIN, MN – Joey Strada scored a power play goal at 8:56 of the third period to break a 2-2 tie and the Wings wouldn’t look back from there as they claimed a 5-2 win and a weekend sweep of the Bruins, pulling two points ahead of Austin for fourth place in the Central.
With the Bruins on a power play about six minutes into the opening period, Colin Raver applied a dangerous hit on Jon Richards in the corner of the rink, injuring Richards and taking a five minute major penalty plus a game misconduct. On the 5-on-3, Travis Kothenbeutel, set up by Jan Stefka and Cole Lawrence gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead. The Wings got a key goal from Kevin Fitzgerald with 34 seconds left in the period to send the game into the intermission tied at one.
Aberdeen took its first lead at 2:02 of the second when Zach Noble found Gage Mackie across the goal crease. The Bruins tied it relatively quickly on Logan Haskins’ first goal in 15 games at 5:45. Haskins tried to feed Justin Misiak but the puck slid right through Wings goalie Forbes Ploszaj. The game was even at two after 40 minutes.
Cole Lawrence went off for hooking in the third and Strada made it 3-2 after the Bruins couldn’t clear the puck out and Alex Schilling lost his goal stick. Riley Murphy and Colton Fletcher would add empty netters to bring the game to its 5-2 final. Ploszaj made 22 saves for the win while Schilling stopped 17 in the loss.
Next up for the Bruins is a home-and-home with the Coulee Region Chill – the first of which is Paint the Rink Pink on Friday night at 7:05. Doors will open at 5:30. Limited tickets are available at our vendors.
