The Minnesota Wilderness took a 2-0 lead in the Midwest Division semifinal with a 2-1 victory over the Kenai River Brown Bears on Saturday in North American Hockey League play at Northwoods Credit Union Arena in Cloquet.
The best-of-five series now shifts to the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex for Game 3 at 7:30 p.m. Friday — the first playoff game in Soldotna since 2014. If necessary, Games 4 and 5 also will be played in Soldotna. Saturday’s game is at 7:30 p.m., while Sunday’s game is at 5 p.m.
Kenai River head coach Taylor Shaw said the team is looking forward to getting back to Alaska.
“We hope to see a packed barn and the boys will be ready to play for them,” he said.
Little advantages have opened up a big advantage in the series for the Wilderness.
Minnesota won 3-1 on Friday with a late empty-net goal in a game in which the shots were tied at 23. Saturday, Minnesota won the shot count 31-25.
The Wilderness also have managed to keep the Bears scoreless in four power-play attempts, while going 2 for 7 with the extra man. Both nights, the power-play goal also served as the difference in the game.
Just 4:42 into the game, Kevin Marx Noren got the Wilderness off and running with a goal, assisted by Sawyer Scholl and Oliver Stumpel.
“I think we got off to a pretty good start,” Shaw said. “Miscommunication on defense led to the first goal.”
In the second period, Reid Daavettila scored on the power play on assists from Adam Johnson and Max Wattvil to make it 2-0. Daavettila also had a power-play goal in Friday’s second period to provide the difference in the game.
“We did a decent job of trying to chip away at the game, then they got a power-play goal off a deflection,” Shaw said.
Daavettila’s Friday night goal also came off a deflection.
The Bears fought back with 9:29 left in the game when Ashton Christman scored on assists from Kotaro Tsutsumi and Garett Drotts.
After that, Minnesota goalie Isak Posch slammed the door, finishing with 24 saves. Posch has now played in seven games against Kenai River this season and allowed more than one goal only once. The Bears also have defeated Posch once this season.
“We came out and settled in for the third period and pushed pretty good,” Shaw said. “I don’t think we gave up a ton of chances, but we didn’t get enough chances to put it in the back of the net more than once.”
Nils Wallstrom saved 29 for the Brown Bears.
“I think he probably wants the first one back, but other than that he shut them down,” Shaw said. “We knew it’d be tight games and he can’t give up a ton. He’s done what we asked him to do.”
Saturday
Wilderness 2, Brown Bears 1
Kenai River 0 0 1 —1
Minnesota 1 1 0 —2
First period — 1. Minnesota, Marx Noren (Scholl, Stumpel), 4:42. Penalties — Kenai River 1 for 2:00; Minnesota 2 for 4:00.
Second period — 2. Minnesota, Daavettila (Johnson, Wattvil), pp, 11:51. Penalties — Kenai River 2 for 4:00.
Third period — 3. Kenai River, Christman (Tsutsumi, Drotts), 10:31. Penalties — none.
Shots on goal — Kenai River 9-7-9—25; Minnesota 10-13-8—31.
Goalies — Kenai River, Wallstrom (27 shots, 25 saves); Minnesota, Posch (22 shots, 21 saves).
Power plays — Kenai River 0 for 2; Minnesota 1 for 3.
