Not the start (or finish) the Nanooks were hoping for as Tanner Sorenson took a clean pass into the slot, and let a wrister go to beat John Keeney glove side just 27 seconds into the opening frame. A nice play they setup off of the faceoff, but a bad break for Alaska to get down early. But that play did sort of wake the Nanooks up so to speak and pulled them out of hibernation and they got to work.
But as they were starting to get rolling, Justin Hoomaian wound up and blasted Colton Beck from behind into the boards, looking like Beck hit his head. Beck was down on the ice for a good chunk of time as Dr. Keller and athletic trainer Mike Curtin attended to him. The officials talked it over but elected not to give him a major, calling it boarding. The Nanooks couldn't score, but they did keep turning up the intensity and getting some better scoring chances.
But with about 5 minutes left in the opening stanza, Colton Beck got hooked up by Tanner Sorenson as the Nanooks were putting on the pressure. With the official's arm raised, and Keeney headed to the bench, Beck finds Kunyk alone on the back door. Kunyk put all he had in that shot against the grain as he had to launch himself at the puck to make it happen. But he had an empty net to shoot it in as Yanakeff couldn't get over in time.
The game remained tied 1-1 through the 2nd period, but the Nanooks had some pretty glorious scoring chances. Granberg had a fantastic shot with Odegard in the box shorthanded. Granberg got the puck through the 5 hole on Yanakeff, but it trickled through the crease wide. Then on the power play late in the period, Taranto rings the post in the waning seconds. So many chances, but Yanakeff stood tall.
Into the 3rd, still no scoring but the Nanooks still with impressive puck possession and offensive zone pressure. They just could not buy a goal. Parayko, Taranto, and Morley all had very good chances that found everything but the twine.
Into the extra frame, Matt Berry made a great feed to DeBlouw for the game winner, who released the shot from faceoff circle above the dot. A low percentage shot, and Keeney probably wishes he could have that one back. Keeney only saw 15 shots on the goal tonight, but unfortunately two of them went in.
Not the results anyone was hoping for, nor the results that the Nanooks deserved. They outplayed MSU tonight, but again Yanakeff steals one from the Nanooks as we head into game two tomorrow night. Hope they're ready, 'cause the Nanooks are gonna bring the house down right on his crease.
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