For most of Tuesday night at Sherwood, this game looked like it was getting away from the Dark Knights. Red Squadron led 3-0 and had the better of the play into the third period, and with under six minutes left on the clock, a comeback looked like a long shot. Then the Knights scored three times in the final minutes to tie it 3-3, and it went straight to a shootout.
It was a chippy, physical night throughout — eight total penalties between the two teams, including a too-many-men minor on Red Squadron that cost them momentum at a bad time. The Knights took their fair share too, but a penalty kill that’s been the best in the division all season came up big again, holding Red Squadron scoreless on three power-play chances.
Jeffrey Hanson and Matthew Newberg did the heavy lifting in regulation, combining for the first two goals of the third-period rally to pull the Knights within one — a game that had been slipping away was suddenly one goal from tied.
It’s a pattern this team has leaned on all season. The Knights have been the most dangerous third-period team in the division, and Tuesday was that identity showing up at the biggest possible moment — down three goals with time running out, and still finding a way to tie it.
The tying goal was the moment of the night. With under two minutes to play, the Knights called a timeout, pulled goalie Lacy Taghon for the extra attacker, and sent Jeffrey Hanson out in her place. He scored to make it 3-3 and force a shootout — the kind of goal that decides how a locker room feels going into the playoffs.
With the game tied after regulation, it went straight to a shootout. Todd Ryan made it look easy, selling the move to his left hard enough that Red Squadron goalie Janet Clarke committed, then tucking it in on the opposite side for the only goal either team would score in the skills competition. The Knights closed the regular season with a 4-3 win.
The win closes out the regular season on a high note — and it did more than that. The Wild lost to the Crows the same night, and combined with the Knights’ win, that result locked in the #2 seed heading into the playoffs, setting up the semifinal against the Wild on August 4th.
Three stars
Jeffrey Hanson takes the first star after a two-goal night that included the tying goal with the goalie pulled. Devan Baldwin picks up the second star for a strong two-way game and an assist in the comeback — and the extra sweetness of a birthday win, with the whole team making sure he got it. Kyle Brattleaf earns the third star for holding down the blue line all night on defense.
