ROCHESTER, Minn. – In an absolute barnburner Friday night, the West Bend Power were able to stave off the Rochester Grizzlies 7-6 for a crucial division victory.
After a sluggish start to the first period on Wednesday, Rochester came out with much more urgency against West Bend in what quickly became a physically enhanced opening frame.
Tension between two playoff foes from last season and it showed with the back and forth across the first period.
Rochester killed off an early penalty, something it struggled with against the Blizzard, but an errant turnover right in front of the slot turned into an easy goal for Jackson Hoem (3) to make it 1-0.
The Grizzlies continued to push, however, and after killing off another penalty, they found themselves on a 5-on-3, where Trenton Fore (4) scored his third goal in as many games to tie things up heading into intermission.
The push and pull antics continued in the most hectic middle frame of the season so far for the black and gold.
The Grizzlies found twine twice in under a minute off of goals from Andrew Bastian (3) and Brett Ludvigsen (6) to make it a 3-1 game, and it looked like Rochester was building off of Wednesday’s middle 20.
For Ludvigsen, his torrid start to the year continues, continuing his streak of recording a point in each of the first eight games of the season.
Instead, the Power flexed their muscles and scored the next four goals of the game, all within eight minutes, to take a 5-3 lead.
The Grizzlies were given their second 5-on-3 opportunity late in the period, including a five-minute major. Still, they couldn’t cut into the deficit before the horn sounded, heading into the third period trailing by two.
Ole Fevold (4) scored just six seconds into the third period to make it a one-goal contest yet again, but the Power responded with an Austin Westergaard (4) snipe just a few minutes later.
And there lies the story of the third period inside the Rec Center: Rochester scores, West Bend answers.
The Grizzlies just could not find those back-to-back goals like they did early in the second period, and ultimately could not get the equalizer as time expired.
The Rochester Grizzlies found themselves stonewalled by the West Bend Power in a defensive bout, losing 3-1 and dropping their third consecutive game.
Efficacy, efficacy, efficacy.
It’s been echoed by this coaching staff this entire week after the loss to Alexandria, and for the second straight night, the Grizzlies delivered.
Dominating puck possession and the shot department, leading 14-6 after the first period, it seemed like destiny for Marty Raymond’s squad to find twine first.
Instead, for the third consecutive game, Rochester found itself surrendering the game’s first goal, off a beautiful feed from Armani Fisher (2) to Elias Holan (3) to give West Bend the lead going into the intermission.
The period of the long change from last night turned into the period of chaos, with six goals between the two teams and 21 penalty minutes.
Tonight’s second period was not nearly as hectic as Friday’s, but did see the Power finally find their footing with a pair of highlight reel goals from Holan (4) and Adam Sexton (2).
The Grizzlies were able to hit twine near the end of the first period with Andrew Bastian’s (4) second goal of the weekend on the power-play but that was all the Grizzlies could muster offensively.
After going 3-for-6 on the power play in Friday’s tilt, the black and gold struggled mightily on the man advantage, going 1-for-8.
A large part in that was due to the play in net by Power goaltender Peter Burke, who put on a dazzling 40-save performance to give West Bend its ninth win of the season.
With the loss, Rochester falls to 5-4-0 on the season in the midst of a three-game skid while West Bend inches closer to first place in the Central Division.
The two teams will meet for a third time next Friday in Rochester as the Grizzlies will try to get back in the win column.