Bison split homestand weekend

BLOOMINGTON — The temperatures were extremely cold this past weekend. However, that did not stop the Bloomington Bison from holding its three-game homestand at Grossinger Motors Arena.

Shane Ott scored his sixth goal of the season on Friday, while the penalty kill play was phenomenal. However, it just wasn’t enough, as the Bison fell to the visiting Cincinnati Cyclones.

The Bison got strong goaltending from Dryden McKay early and made a post-to-post save less than two minutes into the game. Bloomington earned a powerplay five minutes into the contest and created numerous chances. Ilya Tsulygin came inches away from getting the Bison on the board, but sent the puck wide.

Soon after returning to even strength, two skaters in front of the net were tabbed with penalties. Cincinnati struck first and broke McKay’s shutout streak, which had been strong for over seven periods of play. McKay made a point-blank save in the final three minutes and stopped 12 of 13 shots in the first period. Unfortunately, the home squad headed into the intermission down 1-0.

Physical play intensified in the second frame, and the Bison tried to gain momentum from it. Despite the attempts, Cincinnati scored 81 seconds in to double its lead. Two minutes later, the Bison were called for another penalty and completed the kill, but the Cyclones scored game six minutes into the middle stanza. Ott broke through, finishing a two-on-one feed from Eddie Matsushima and Matt Hubbarde at 14:13 to register what would stand as the only Bison goal of the game. Physicality continued, and in the final ten seconds, Brenden Datema dropped the gloves.

Despite earning the favor of a home crowd with the fight, the Bison were unable to light the lamp in the final period. Cincinnati took advantage of defensive miscues and potted two goals in eight seconds to take a 5-1 lead. After a late, shortened power-play chance, Bloomington finished the night 0/5 on the man-advantage.

Power-play trouble results in Bison loss vs. Indy Fuel

Ayden MacDonald scored on the power play, and the penalty kill was perfect, but the Bloomington Bison fell 3-1 to the Indy Fuel at Grossinger Motors Arena on Saturday evening.

The Bison began the game with strong defensive play and killed off a first-minute penalty. While shorthanded, Lou-Felix Denis created the best chance for either team on an offensive-zone breakaway after deking through two Indy defensemen. Bloomington got a power-play chance around seven minutes in, but could not find the back of the net. MacDonald had a shot in the crease that got turned aside in desperation.

The Fuel then notched the first goal, scoring just over the halfway mark. With just over five minutes remaining, Hugo Ollas stood tall on an odd-man rush and blocked a point-blank chance with his pads. Indy doubled its lead in the final 20 seconds of the period and took the 2-0 lead into the second frame.

Trouble continues into the second period

Less than five minutes into the middle stanza, Bloomington looked to spark its offense with two early power-play opportunities. Although the puck did not go in, the Bison had numerous chances at the goal line and one-time set-ups to create energy. Ollas fended off a Fuel shorthanded breakaway chance to keep his squad within two goals of tying the contest.

With around eight minutes remaining in the period, the Bison had a five-on-three penalty kill for over 80 seconds and continued the strong penalty kill numbers. The final three minutes of momentum were all Bison. On Bloomington’s final powerplay chance of the frame, Sullivan Mack rang a shot off the post, and in the final minute, Ott got stopped on a two-on-one.

Bloomington would outshoot Indy 11-5 in the final period but was held off the scoreboard on further attempts. While shorthanded again, Matsushima was stopped on a breakaway. Just over the halfway mark, the Bison finally broke through on their fifth power-play chance of the game. MacDonald redirected a Nikita Sedov blue line shot off the post to cut the Indy lead in half for the team’s 10th power-play goal in its last 10 games.

Immediately following the goal, four-on-four play was due up as a scuffle ensued at the celebration in front of the net. Ollas made a key save, stopping a two-on-one while four-on-four to keep the deficit at one, but the Fuel later added another tally into an empty net to secure the 3-1 final score.

Bison finishes off weekend with shutout win vs. Fuel

McKay recorded his third shutout in his last four starts on home ice. Sedov notched his ninth multi-point game as the Bloomington Bison defeated the Indy Fuel on Sunday afternoon.

The Bison generated multiple scoring chances early in the game. Within two minutes of the action starting, the Bison earned a power play. Mark Kaleinikovas had a one-on-one chance for the best look on the power play, but Indy successfully killed it off. At the midway mark, Bloomington struck first. Sedov followed a Mikael Robidoux breakaway and netted the rebound. McKay and the defense killed off the only Fuel power play of the game. Bloomington’s netminder totaled nine saves in the opening frame.

 The Bison continued their lockdown defensive play, eventually fending off ten Fuel shots and extending offensive control in the second. The best offensive chance for Bloomington came just under 12 minutes in with a set faceoff play that was turned aside. With under five minutes remaining, McKay turned aside a one-timer and shut down an odd-man rush. After successfully defending its zone, Bloomington extended its lead over six minutes in.

Ott doubled the Bison tallies by cleaning up Sedov’s rebound on the doorstep. Mikhail Abramov earned the secondary assist on the play. Abramov later potted an empty-net goal in the final 20 seconds of the game. McKay added one more highlight to his effort with a post-to-post save, ending the night with 27 stops. With the win, Bloomington tied Indy for third place in the Central Division with 42 points.

The Bison returns to action on Wednesday for Brewery Night.

Jake Leonard, Executive Editor-In-Chief

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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.

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