BISMARCK, ND – In the Bruins’ first official road trip of the season, they would head up to the Capitol of North Dakota and steal a 5-3 victory over the Bobcats.
With multiple players down with injuries, the Bruins would have to overcome missing some key offensive pieces for their first meeting of the season with the Bobcats. Late in the first period, the Bruins would find themselves on a Chad Thomas Thrivent Finacial Power Play, as Bismarck’s Lando Fleming would be assessed a roughing minor. In the closing seconds of the man advantage, Ocean Wallace and Gavin Morrissey would find Josh Giuliani back door to tap home a goal past Linards Lipskis to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead.
Coming out of the first-period intermission, the Bruins would find themselves back on the Power Play but would see a different result. Bobcats’ Captain Patrick Johnson would steal the puck and snipe one past Trent Wiemken to pick up a short-handed goal to tie the game up at 1-1. Wiemken would stand tall during the second period, as he would face multiple scoring chances from the Bobcats, many of which would be without his stick, to keep the game tied at 1-1 until the 12:28 mark of the period. Austin Salani would pick up his 4th goal of the season off a pass from Jimmy Goffredo to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead. In the closing seconds of the period, Ethan Lindahl would redirect a feed from Salani to pick up his first of the season and give the Bruins a 3-1 lead to the locker room after forty minutes of play in Bismarck.
Similar to the second period, Bismarck would score just two minutes into the 3rd, as Julian Beaumont would rocket a shot over the blocker of Wiemken to pull the Bobcats back within one goal. Only seconds later, Jackson Luther would get his first of the night to give the Bruins back a two-goal lead. With less than two minutes in regulation to play, Bismarck would elect to pull Lipskis, while on the Power Play, to get an extra attack. This would pay off as Evan Hunter would pick up a Power Play goal for Bismarck and pull them back within one goal with only 1:07 remaining in the game. Luther would seal the deal for the Bruins moments later with his second goal on the night with an empty-netter to give the Bruins a 5-3 victory. Wiemken would stop 35 shots of the 38 he would face to pick up his 2nd win of the season.
Tomorrow night the Bruins look to complete the weekend sweep of Bismarck with game two of the series set to start at 7:15 PM CST.
