By Dave Hart
LocalSportsJournal.com

MUSKEGON – A good way to keep a high-scoring team off the board is by forcing them to kill off a ton of penalties.

The Green Bay Gamblers did that to the Lumberjacks for the first two periods of play. But the Lumberjacks did not stay down the entire game as they woke up midway through the third period, scoring a pair of late goals to force overtime.

Muskegon’s Matvei Gridin (No. 92). photo/Sondra Workman

The Gamblers, however, managed to maintain the extra point as Lev Katzin scored his second goal of the contest midway through the extra stanza to help propel Green Bay past the Lumberjacks 3-2 on Friday at Trinity Health Arena.

For the Lumberjacks, it was their first home loss of the season, and they are 7-2-1 overall, good for 15 points and second place in the USHL’s Eastern Conference.

Muskegon will look for some revenge at 7:10 p.m. Saturday night when they host the Gamblers for Game 2 of a three-game weekend series.

The game featured many penalties, especially on the Lumberjacks, who were shorthanded seven different times. The Lumberjacks penalty kill was strong as they killed six-of-seven Green Bay man advantages. Muskegon only had four power plays and managed to score on one of them.

“We didn’t play great hockey for 40 minutes,” said Lumberjacks coach Parker Burgess. “It’s tough to get in the flow when you’re killing penalties on a consistent basis. We just challenged them and they responded for a much needed point.”

Both teams failed to score in a penalty-filled opening stanza.

The Lumberjacks killed all three of the Green Bay power plays and failed to score on their two chances with the man-advantage during the first period. The Gamblers outshot Muskegon 14-9 during the first 20 minutes of play.

Muskegon’s Owen Keef pokes for the puck. Photo/Sondra Workman

Green Bay scored the game’s first goal after receiving its fourth power play of the contest. Julian Lutz found the back of the net for the visitors 3:15 into the second period while the Gamblers had a man advantage to give Green Bay a 1-0 lead.

The Gamblers had a chance to increase their lead as Muskegon was ticketed for a couple of penalties, including a four-minute high sticking call on Matvei Gridin at the 11:11 mark of the second period.

The Lumberjacks successfully killed off the six minutes of shorthanded time to keep the deficit at a single goal.

Green Bay scored a late second period goal with 1:03 remaining in the stanza from Katzin to give the Gamblers a 2-0 advantage heading into the third period. The Gamblers outshot Muskegon 21-19 through 40 minutes of play.

Lukas Swedin makes the save in goal for Muskegon. Photo/Sondra Workman

The Lumberjacks had a great opportunity to get back in the game at the 8:15 mark of the third period after Green Bay was called for a two-minute holding penalty, but Muskegon failed to capitalize.

Muskegon finally ended the Gamblers’ bid for a shutout at the 12-minute mark of the third period when Sacha Boisvert snapped home an unassisted goal. It was his seventh goal of the season.

The Lumberjacks were given another chance to get back into the game with a power-play opportunity 15:02 into the final period.

Gridin connected on a one-time shot from the top of the left circle to tie the contest at 2-2 with 3:07 left in regulation. Boisvert was credited with the lone assist on Gridin’s 10th goal of the season.

Both teams failed to score the winning-goal in regulation, setting up for a 5-minute overtime period.

The Jacks outshot Green Bay 18-8 during the third period and had a 37-29 advantage in shots on goal during regulation.

Katzin scored the game-winning goal for the Gamblers 2:12 into the overtime period.

The Lumberjacks outshot Green Bay 39-32. Goaltender Lukas Swedin stopped 29-of-32 shots on goal.