AUSTIN, MINN – A late third period goal put a halt to an Austin Bruins (5-3-0-0, 10 pts) comeback and handed the Minot Minotauros (7-1-0-0, 14pts) their seventh straight victory Friday night.
The Bruins attacked early, capitalizing on a Minot slashing minor when Logan Lambrecht elevated a netfront pass from Nolan Newton over the shoulder of the Tauros’ netminder just 15 seconds into the power play to put the Black and Gold ahead 1-0.
Minot would fire off a flurry of shots but couldn’t beat Dilans Birkans to head into first intermission down 1-0, outshooting the Bruins 15-10.
The Tauros carried that momentum into the second, striking just 1:05 into the middle from after Philip Wiklund broke free and scored on a one-on-one breakaway to tie the game. Former Rochester Grizzlie Briggs Knott followed suit just eight seconds later. Minot won the center ice faceoff and defenseman Jacob Faith found Knott at the blueline. Knott would walk his way towards the net and fired one by Birkans to give Minot the lead at 1:13.
The Tauros would add another one on a Joey Dellacroce power play goal at 6:47 to take a 3-1 lead into the locker room.
Ivan Sidorov was called for a high stick double minor with six seconds left in the second, giving the Bruins the opportunity they needed to tie it up.
In the third, Viktor Olihn would clean up a rebound off of a Gus Elbert shot to bring the game back within one just 1:25 into the third frame. Still on the power play, Brett Ludvigsen would fly coast to coast and juked out Minot goalie Lukas Hoglind to tie the game up at 2:18.
Austin’s penalty kill was in full force, having to stop three Minot power plays to keep the game even late into the third.
Minot would keep the puck alive in the offensive zone, allowing Faith to find Wiklund for a back-door one-timer for the eventual game winner at 16:05.
The Bruins power play finally started to find its rhythm Friday night, converting on three of five power play chances, with the penalty kill shutting down five of six of Minot’s.
Austin and Minot go at it again Saturday night at Riverside Arena, with puck drop at 6:05pm. Fans can get their tickets at tickets.austinbruins.com.
Saturday night’s game is the NATV Free Game of the Week. Fans can watch the game for free by heading over to NAHLTV.com.
