The Aberdeen Wings are primed and ready for the postseason.
With a 6-2 win over the North Iowa Bulls Friday night at the Odde Ice Center, the Wings clinched the final playoff spot in the Central Division of the North American Hockey League.
The Wings have won eight straight as they now prepare for the upcoming postseason.
“Just another game for us. I mean, coming off a seven-game win streak I think,” said Ryder Many Grey Horses. “Just had it on cruise control and had to finish the job.”
The Wings find themselves playing some of their best hockey late in the season, when it matters the most.
“We had to win eight in a row to do it. So, the guys are playing really well in a lot of areas of the game,” said Wings coach Scott Langer. “I think at this time of the year when you’re playing your best hockey, it’s awesome. You give yourself a chance going into round one.”
That type of hockey showed up early on when Bryce Johnson swung around the back of the net to put in the first goal of the night just over four minutes into the game. The goal was followed by stuffed animals being thrown on the ice, as Johnson had scored the “Teddy Bear Goal.”
“I kind of just got the rebound, saw the goalie was right next to me so I was like he can’t get to the other side in time, so I’m just gonna sneak it in there,” said Johnson. “It was electric. I didn’t see anything, like my team came and hugged me. It was awesome, I was on cloud nine.”
At the 11:45 mark, the Wings committed their second penalty of four on the period, and the Bulls took advantage of it as Cole Wirun caught a rebound off Wings’ goalie Damon Cunningham to tie it up at 1-1 at the 11:19 mark. The four first-period penalties were an area that the Wings focused on heading into the second period.
“Yeah, we took a couple of bad ones there, that’s for sure. We can’t do that, you know. You don’t wanna put pressure on your goaltending,” Langer said. “We’re a smart enough group to understand you’re at home, you need to give yourself a chance to get points. You don’t need to be taking foolish penalties.”
As the first period was winding down, Jibber Kuhl found himself one-on-one with the North Iowa goalie after a missed pass on the Bulls’ end of the ice and he didn’t miss the opportunity to bury the puck with 17.8 seconds remaining in the period.
“Last year, he was our best player at the end of the year and he’s emerging as that guy again this year. He just worked so hard at his game and what he’s done as of late,” said Langer. “He’s just playing great hockey and that gives us a chance to be successful.”
There was little action in the first half of the second period, but when the Wings got a power play at the 11:41 mark, Many Grey Horses took his shot to put Aberdeen up 3-1 with 9:55 remaining in the period.
“I think ‘Jibbs’ went across and I don’t know. I didn’t see the shot,” said Many Grey Horses. “But once it netted it just popped in front of my stick and I just put it in.”
Going into the final period up by two, Johnson put the Wings in total control, this time on a power play in the first four minutes of the period.
“It was a power play goal off of a turnover. I knew how to take it to the net, it was a two-on-one,” said Johnson. “Just took it to the net and stuffed it. A little greasy, but they don’t ask how.”
Sebastian Lillsund followed that goal up with one of his own at the 13:53 mark, and Nikolai Tishkevich closed it out with the sixth goal of the night with 3:11 left in the game. The late-game goals helped to seal the victory as well as the playoff spot.
“Oh, it’s so key, just to have those insurance goals and knowing that you get that dub,” said Many Grey Horses. “It’s awesome seeing those guys succeed.”
The second Bulls’ goal came in between the Lillsund and Tishkevich scores and was their second power play goal of the night, showing the significance of staying out of the penalty box.
“It’s so important,” Johnson said. “I mean, you just see the difference in the team we are when we don’t take penalties.”
The Wings will wrap up the regular season tonight against North Iowa at 7:15 p.m. at the Odde Ice Center before gearing up for the playoffs next weekend when Aberdeen travels to Bismarck in the opening round.
“It feels fantastic,” Johnson said of qualifying for the playoffs. “I’m ready to make a run.”
To see a complete box score, click on the following link:
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