Austin’s shootout woes continue in a loss to Magicians
Published 9:58 pm Friday, October 19, 2018
- Austin’s Che Landikusic readies a shot against the Magicians in the second period Friday night at Riverside Arena. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
The Austin Bruins are off to a good start this season, but it could be a great start if they were able to figure out how to win shootouts. The Bruins dropped their third shootout of the season in their 10th contest of the year when they fell to the Minnesota Magicians by a score of 3-2 in Riverside Arena Friday.
Kyle McClellan stopped the first three shots of the shootout, but the Magicians (9-3 overall) won it when Cameron Buhl was able to find the net. Lane Krenzen, Dante Zapata, who had Austin’s only two goals of the night, Dante Sheriff and Che Landikusic all came up empty for the Bruins (6-1-0-3 overall).
Austin goalie Kyle McClellan stops a shot during the first period against the Magicians Friday night at Riverside Arena. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
“That one’s on me. I keep sending the same guys out,” Austin head coach Steve Howard said. “There’s supposed to be our leading scorers and they’re supposed to be the guys that can get it done. We gave Krenzen an opportunity tonight and it’s not on him, Zapata had two goals tonight and he has are only goal on 15 [shootout attempts] this season. I’m going to have to switch some things up. I keep putting Sheriff out there to score and he hasn’t scored out there in three attempts. On to the next guy.”
Austin was able to force overtime when Zapata converted a slap shot on a five-on-three power play with 14:26 left in the game, but the Bruins weren’t able to take the lead. McClellan, who had 24 saves, kept Austin alive in overtime when he made a big save on a one-timer with 1:21 left in the extra session.
The Magicians scored each of their two goals in transition, including a shorthanded goal by Jackson Naus that put them up 2-1 early in the third.
The Austin Bruins’ Joseph Winkelmann skates the puck into the Magicians’ zone in the second period Friday night in Riverside Arena. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
“I like our structure. They only got what we gave them,” Howard said. “We gave them a two-on-one and they scored on that and the other one was a shorthanded goal because one guy decided he was going to dangle at the wrong time. We’re the ones that shoot ourselves in the foot and we’ve got to be more accountable in all areas, including myself.”
SCORING SUMMARY
Magicians 1 0 1 0 1 — 3
Austin 1 0 1 0 0 — 2
First period
(A) Dante Zapata (Levi Stauber, Jed Pietila) (power play) 13:49
(M) Matthew Stanton 18:48
Second period
No scoring
Third period
(M) Jackson Nauss (short handed) 2:54
(A) Zapata (Sheriff) 5:35
Shots: Austin — 41; Magicians — 27
Power plays: Austin —2-for-9; Magicians — 0-for-5
Austin’s Jed Pietila collides with the Magicians’ Valentino Passarelli in the first period Friday night at Riverside Arena. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
