Outlaws come back once before losing twice

Easton Parnell scored the only goal of the opening period, and Tyler Berglund scored in the first six minutes of the second period to give Isanti a 2-0 lead. But the Blue Ox netted a pair of goals just 48 seconds apart midway through the second to tie the game, then took the lead with a goal at 7:06 of the third period.

That wasn’t enough to stop the Outlaws, though, as Kolton Kane tied the game with a goal at 10:22 of the final period, and Berglund netted the game-winner at 14:32.

Robert Bymers finished with 38 saves to earn the victory, a win that clinched a spot in the playoffs for the Outlaws.

“We hit a rocky road with the Florida Showcase, so we were looking to get back into a rhythm,” coach Don Babineau said. “Going up 2-0 was good, but going down 3-2 was not, obviously. But we showed a ‘never quit’ attitude and were able to pull out the win.

“That was a win that was good for team morale.”

The Outlaws appeared to carry that momentum into the following evening’s contest against Hudson, the first-place team in the Midwest West Division. Tyler Berglund scored the only goal of the first period, and Parnell scored late in the second even though the Havoc outshot Isanti 33-17 in the first two periods.

“Our game plan was to play more defensive-minded and wait for our opportunities, and that’s what happened,” Babineau said. “So mission accomplished.

“But then we coughed up the puck twice, and [Hudson] turned it into a 2-2 game. Then we had a penalty near the end that was questionable in my eyes, and they capitalized. Sometimes that’s the way the game goes.”

Hudson scored just two minutes into the final period, then tied the game two minutes later before netting a power-play goal at 12:50 to claim a 3-2 win.

Tristan Sucher was the hard-luck loser in net for the Outlaws despite stopping 48 shots.

“We can look at this game two ways,” Babineau said. “One way is to think they are just another team in our division, and we’ve gone through highs and lows on the season. We beat them earlier in the season, and we know we can beat them.”

On Monday, Jan. 16, the Outlaws fell behind 3-1 after one period but were able to tie the game before eventually losing to the Minnesota Squatch 6-4 in an afternoon contest at the Isanti Ice Arena.

Parnell got Isanti on the board with his goal at 3:40 of the opening period, but the Squatch tied the game three minutes later, then took advantage of a 4-on-4 and an Isanti penalty to score goals that gave them a 3-1 lead at the first intermission.

Korbin Manson cut the deficit to 3-2 with the lone goal of the second period, this coming at the 14:27 mark, and Keanu McClanahan tied the game just 1:52 into the third. When the Squatch scored roughly four minutes later, Isanti responded with another game-tying goal, this one off the stick of Tyler Schmitt at 10:16.

But the Squatch scored what proved to be the game-winning goal at 15:44, then added an empty-net goal with less than 30 seconds to play to sew up the win.

The Outlaws will return to the Isanti Ice Arena for a pair of home games this weekend, starting with a contest against Hudson on Friday, Jan. 20, at 7:05 p.m.

Two days later Isanti will host Wisconsin Rapids in a noon start.

Isanti begins this week with an 18-15-1 record good for 37 points, good for fourth place in the USPHL’s Midwest West Division. Hudson leads the division with a 24-4-0 record that gives the Havoc 49 points; the Squatch are in second with 45 and the Minnesota Moose are third 39 points.

The Midwest West playoffs begin the first week in March, with the top four teams in the division earning home ice for first-round playoff games.

Currently the Outlaws are 4 points ahead of fifth-place Wisconsin Rapids, which has played one fewer game than Isanti.

“The first step was to make sure we get to play extra hockey after the regular season ends,” Babineau said. “Now we’re working on home-ice advantage. We’re in a top-four position, and that’s where we need to be.

“We want to give our fans a chance to watch playoff hockey at home. And in the playoffs all three games are at home, so that’s something that would be good for us trying to make it into Round 2.”