The Aberdeen Wings outshot the Bismarck Bobcats Friday night inside the Odde Ice Center, but they struggled to find the back of the net, taking a 6-1 loss in front of the home crowd.
Bismarck fired off eight shots in the first period and scored on three of those chances. The first came from Brandon Reller at the 8:05 mark, then from Patrick Johnson at the 12:46 mark and Even Hunter gave his team the three-goal lead on the power play at the 14:36 mark in the first.
After the tough first period, the Wings came out strong in the middle stanza, firing off 19 shots while holding the Bobcats to just three. Early in the period, Owen DuBois skated the puck down and through the crease, taking a shot that was blocked — but Luke Backel was right there to put the rebound in at the 2:22 mark. It was Backel’s third goal on the year, while DuBois picked up his 14th assist.
The intensity picked up later in the period with penalties on both sides of the bench, but the Wings couldn’t capitalize again and skated into the final break trailing by two.
But it was Bismarck who had the upper hand in the final period, tacking on three more goals to seal the Wings’ fate. Johnson got his second goal of the game at the 6:38 mark, Vertti Jantunen scored at the 14:49 mark and Sean Kenny got the game’s final goal the 17:28 mark.
The Bobcats outshot the Wings in the final period 11-8, but overall Aberdeen outshot Bismarck 36-22. The Bobcats went 1-3 on the power play while the Wings were held to 0-4.
The two teams will meet again Saturday night inside the Odde for their fifth consecutive matchup, tenth overall meeting on the year. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the puck hits the ice at 7:15 p.m. Dakota Fluid Power will be in the AutoMaxx Party Deck as the game’s corporate sponsor.
It’s a Black Out night — Wings fans are encouraged to wear their favorite black apparel — and another Military Appreciation Night; just show your Military ID at the door for FREE admission to Saturday’s game. The Aberdeen Cougar Termites will scrimmage during the first intermission, and fans are invited to stick around after the game for another Danger Von Dempsey’s Skate with the Wings.
Tickets are available online at tickets.AberdeenWings.com or at the door on game night. $10 general admission tickets are also available at any C-Express location in Aberdeen, with additional purchase.
The Wings are also home next weekend, Feb. 3-4 as we host the Minot Minotauros. Keep an eye out for our second specialty jerseys of the season, benefitting SPURS Therapeutic Riding Center in Aberdeen, with a jersey auction immediately following Saturday’s game. Stay tuned to AberdeenWings.com and our social media pages for upcoming details.