The Kenai River Brown Bears lost twice on the weekend on the road to the Janesville (Wisconsin) Jets in North American Hockey League play, falling in overtime Friday and in regulation Saturday.
“Just lackluster,” Kenai River head coach Taylor Shaw said. “Janesville played hard. Their record doesn’t define who they are. They’re going to give a lot of teams a run for their money down the stretch.
“We weren’t very detailed, and it cost us some crucial points here in a crucial time of the year.”
The Bears, who had an eight-game point streak snapped Saturday, are tied for sixth place in the Midwest Division at 18-21-3-3, good for 42 points. The Jets are in last at 12-25-3-3.
Kenai River is only six points out of the fourth and final playoff spot in the division, currently held by the Chippewa (Wisconsin) Steel with 48 points.
The Bears had a 2-0 lead on Friday and Saturday and had the opportunity to get even closer to the Steel.
Friday, Shaw said several five-on-three power plays late in the game cost his team. Saturday in the third period, the Bears gave up the equalizer on the power play, then Janesville scored the game-winner short-handed.
“There’s still a lot of games to be played, and we’re still right in the hunt,” Shaw said. “It stings when you give away points you shouldn’t give away.”
The Bears stay on the road to face the Minnesota Wilderness on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21 and 22, with both games at 4:15 p.m. AKST.
“We’re all frustrated with how this weekend went, and that’s going to fuel our work week this next week,” Shaw said. “You only get so many times in your life you’re in a playoff chase, and we just don’t want to let it go by.”
Friday, the Brown Bears took a 2-0 lead on goals in the first and second periods.
In the first period, Dario Lass scored on Luke Lizak and Andy Larson assists, while in the second period, Joseph Yoon scored on the power play on Brady Engelkes and Lass assists.
With 12:31 left in the game, Murray Marvin-Cordes made it 2-1. Then Trevor Aberwald scored on the power play with 2:16 left to send it to overtime.
Aberwald was then the only one to score in the shootout.
Christian Kirsch made 33 saves for the Jets, while Owen Zenone stopped 31 for the Bears.
Saturday, the Bears got their 2-0 lead when Wes Berg, assisted by Engelkes and Thomas Gunderson, scored in the first period and Gunderson, assisted by Engelkes and Lizak, scored in the second period.
Janesville started climbing back when Sammy Smith scored with 1:25 left in the second.
Nick Messina then closed for Janesville with a hat trick.
He struck first with 9:42 left on the power play to tie the game, then scored short-handed for the lead with 3:39 to play. He closed with an empty-netter.
Kirsch stopped 27 for the Jets, while Mitchell Mccusker saved 37 for the Bears.
Friday
Jets 3, Brown Bears 2, SO
Ken 1 1 0 0 0 —2
Jan 0 0 2 0 1 —3
First period — 1. Kenai River, Lass (Lizak, Larson), 6:15. Penalties — Janesville 2 for 4:00.
Second period — 2. Kenai River, Yoon (Engelkes, Lass), pp, 7:29. Penalties — Kenai River 1 for 2:00; Janesville 3 for 6:00.
Third period — 3. Janesville, Marvin-Cordes (Magner, Hyten), 7:29. 4. Janesville, Aberwald (Eilers, Smith), pp, 17:44. Penalties — Kenai River 3 for 6:00; Janesville 1 for 2:00.
Overtime — none. Penalties — Kenai River 1 for 2:00.
Shots on goal — Kenai River 13-17-3-2—35; Janesville 11-8-12-2—33.
Shootout — Kenai River 0 (Lass NG, Larson NG, Jensen NG); Janesville 1 (Miller NG, Aberwald G).
Goalies — Kenai River, Zenone (33 shots, 31 saves); Janesville, Kirsch (35 shots, 33 saves).
Power plays — Kenai River 1 for 6; Janesville 1 for 5.
Saturday
Jets 4, Brown Bears 2
Ken 1 1 0 —2
Jan 0 1 3 —4
First period — 1. Kenai River, Berg (Engelkes, Gunderson), 14:20. Penalties — Kenai River 2 for 4:00; Janesville 2 for 4:00.
Second period — 2. Kenai River, Gunderson (Engelkes, Lizak), 16:53. 3. Janesville, Smith (Murphy, Aberwald), 18:35. Penalties — Kenai River 3 for 6:00; Janesville 1 for 5:00.
Third period — 4. Janesville, Messina (Marvin-Cordes, Hyten), 10:18. 5. Janesville, Messina (Schroeder, Brierley), sh, 16:21. 6. Janesville, Messina (Hyten, Hedlund), en, 18:21. Penalties — Kenai River 2 for 4:00; Janesville 2 for 4:00.
Shots on goal — Kenai River 11-8-10—29; Janesville 17-11-12—40.
Goalies — Kenai River, Mccusker (40 shots, 37 saves); Janesville, Kirsch (29 shots, 27 saves).
Power plays — Kenai River 0 for 3, Janesville 1 for 5.
