CALGARY, AB (February 27, 2018) — Despite a three-goal comeback from their opponents, the Brooks Bandits (44-13-1) picked up a 6-5 shootout win over the Mustangs in Calgary on Tuesday night, winning the season series 4 games to 2 and taking their first win at the David Bauer Arena this season.
Bandit goaltender Mitch Benson (Windsor, ON) made 20 saves, and stopped both shooters in the shootout, while forwards Louis Jamernik (Calgary, AB) and Conner Jean (Oakland, MI) each had two goal games.
It was Calgary that got on the scoreboard first, thanks to a five-on-three powerplay. A top-shelf shot from Ayden Roche-Setoguchi with under eight minutes left in the opening period put the Mustangs up 1-0. However, the Bandits countered 86 seconds later as Jamernik found a rebound and tapped in the tying goal. Then with 2:22 to go in the period, forward P-A Martineau (Sherbrooke, QC) made a slick deke around the Mustang defence and dished it off to the side of the net for forward Matt Cassidy (Medford, NJ), who shot it in for a 2-1 Bandit lead.
Just 83 seconds into the second period, Brooks went up 3-1 when Jamernik found a Dennis Cesana rebound and backhanded in his second of the night. The Bandits increased their lead to 4-1 at the 8:28 mark as Jean blasted a one-timer on the powerplay from the left circle.
But Calgary fought back. With 5:29 left in the period, Tyler Lentz scored from the slot, and then with 45 seconds remaining, Chase Miller shot from the left circle and beat Benson to cut the deficit to 4-3. Brooks would out-shoot Calgary 19-6 in the frame but still hold just a one-goal lead.
The Mustangs tied the game up 4:58 into the third period, as defenceman Salvatore Scalise shot the puck off a body and in. Brooks got to work on their powerplay in the third period, and converted with under seven minutes to go thanks to another one-timer from Jean.
Following a timeout, Calgary’s top-scorer Joe Karpyshyn tied the game 5-5 with 1:10 on the clock to force overtime.
The Bandits started the extra frame short-handed, but killed it off. The closest Calgary came was a breakaway chance for Yuri Chernichko, but he was stopped by Benson, sending the game to the shootout.
It was just the Bandits’ third shootout this year (the team had won the other two shootouts), and first since September 29.
Brooks’ first shooter Simon Boyko (Mississauga, ON) made good on his attempt as he deked out Abel. After an unsuccessful attempt from the Mustangs’ Jarret Timmerman, Bandits defenceman Shane Bear (Calgary, AB) sniped the second Bandit goal of the shootout. The game ended when Calgary’s second shooter, Karpyshyn, was denied by a Benson save.
The Bandits will play their final home game of the regular season on Friday when they host the Camrose Kodiaks, where the team awards will be handed out prior to puck drop at 7:00 pm; tickets are available online at tickets.brooksbandits.ca.