Victories in hockey sometimes can be Rembrandt-like pieces of artwork. Other times, they can remind you of a pigsty.
Saturday night’s game in Cloquet between the Minnesota Wilderness and Wisconsin Windigo was definitely more like the latter. The great thing about hockey is that winning either way counts the same.
The Wilderness pried out a 2-1 shootout victory that was driven by spectacular goaltending from Adam Prokop. Through regulation and five minutes of overtime, the second-year Junior A veteran stopped 38 of 39 Windigo shots and then made five more saves over six shootout rounds. He was aided by a defense that was tenacious in blocking Windigo shots and getting sticks in the way of passing lanes.
“It was a gutsy win; the boys did whatever it took to keep the puck out of the net”, said head coach Colten St. Clair. He added, “Even though it wasn’t the prettiest of wins, the boys stuck together like a family and didn’t break.”
Prokop’s star shined brightest in the third period when he held off a high-powered Windigo offense that outshot the Wilderness 20-4. Two massive saves came in the final minute when the Wausau, WI, native stopped NAHL leading goal-scorer Will Schumacher with a save at the post to his left, and then had to maneuver to deny Everett Pietila at the post to his right on a rebound chance.
For the game, Wisconsin outshot Minnesota, 39-21.
The two regulation time goals were scored during the second period, and both came on the power play. The Windigo took the game’s first lead when Brayden Beahm threaded a needle when he slipped the puck just between Prokop’s left arm and the adjacent post with 3:51 left in the middle frame. Beahm’s goal was assisted by Jacob Jastrzebski and Daniil Dolzhenko.
The Wilderness evened the score in the final seconds of period 2 shortly after it embarked on its fourth man-advantage opportunity of the game. After winning an offensive zone face off, Peteris Purmalis and Oliver Stümpel combined to cycle the puck along the right boards to Ashton Dahms at the blue line. Dahms then glided to the high slot and then from the top of the right circle, he ripped a wrist shot that deflected off a defender’s stick and past goaltender Max Beckford into the Windigo net. That goal with 8.4 seconds left is Dahms’ 14 th on the campaign.
Beahm’s and Dahms’ goals were the only power play tallies in the contest, as both squads finished one-for- four.
The 1-1 tie remained through the third period and a scoreless overtime, leading up to the shootout to determine the game’s winner.
And even by typical shootout standards, it would not end quickly. Both teams were scoreless through the first three rounds. Wisconsin finally broke through in round 4 when Dolzhenko cashed in, but the Wilderness countered when Purmalis found the back of the net.
That was followed by a scoreless round 5 and Wisconsin failing again in the top of round 6. Daniel Astapovich then finished the game with a wrist shot from the right hash mark in the slot that beat Beckford on the stick side. That gave the Wilderness a 2-1 advantage in the shootout and the game itself and a sweep in the two- game series.
The sweep allows Minnesota to strengthen its hold on first place in the Midwest Division to a 4-point lead over the Windigo, who entered the weekend trailing the Wilderness by just one point.
Up next for Minnesota will be a busy Thanksgiving week, where it will play three games over four days,
beginning with its annual home Thanksgiving eve contest. That game on Nov. 22 will feature Chippewa as the
opponent, and will be followed by a weekend Friday/Saturday series at Janesville.