Alexandria, Minn. — The Rochester Grizzlies saw their five-game win streak reach its end with a 5-2 loss to Alexandria Wednesday night.
Despite outshooting Alexandria 29-21 and controlling play for extended stretches, the Grizzlies couldn’t win the special teams battle as the Blizzard finished the night 3-for-5 on the power play to pull away.
After playing some of their best hockey last weekend, the Grizzlies were the polar opposite in the first 20 minutes. Completely outworked in all three zones, being outshot 14-6 and taking three penalties, Rochester was lucky to be down by just a goal.
“A word we’ve been preaching is efficacy and it just wasn’t there last night,” assistant coach Brandon Ratzloff said. “We seemed panicked, that’s what happens when you’re not prepared.”
Kyle Lappi continued his sensational start to the campaign, with at least three Grade-A stops to try and propel the momentum in Rochester’s favor.
Propel the momentum it did, as the Grizzlies came out firing in the middle frame.
Brett Ludvigsen (5) cleaned up his own rebound through traffic within the first two minutes to tie things up, and Rochester continued to pile on the pressure. The Blizzard were held without a shot for the first 15:19 of the second period, completely shut down and outshot the entire period 16-1.
The only problem for Marty Raymond’s squad? The one and only shot for Alexandria found the back of the net to take the lead into the final frame.
The third period was deja vu of the second, with Cooper Johnson (2) tying things up on a scramble in front halfway through the frame.
Yet Alexandria, on just five shots in the frame, beat Lappi twice then hit the empty net to seal the 5-2 victory for the home squad.
“We need to see more sacrifice,” Ratzloff said. “Things like getting in the shot lane making sure we are eating pucks as opposed to letting pucks go through.”
Jayden Serene for the Blizzard was sensational in net, stopping 27 of 29 shots he faced and only surrendering two goals on net-mouth scrambles.
A tough pill to swallow for the Grizzlies, who looked like the more complete team for 40 minutes but couldn’t climb the mountain all the way to the top.
Rochester returns to the Rec Center this Friday and Saturday against West Bend looking to get back in the win column against last season’s Fraser Cup runner-ups.