Come playoff time, special teams can mean the difference between winning and losing.
The Melfort Mustangs found that out the hard way, giving up four power play goals in a 7-2 loss to the Humboldt Broncos in Game 1 of the Bourgault Cup in Melfort.
Bourgault Industries Ltd. was announced as the series sponsor between the Highway 368 rivals.
The Mustangs, who scored first, could not keep the Broncos off the board with the man advantage, as the Broncos answered the early Mustangs goal with three straight power play markers.
By the time the game reached its midway mark, the Broncos were 3-for-3 with the man advantage and led 4-1.
The green and gold added another power play marker in the third as the visitors finished Game 1, 4-for-8 with the man advantage.
While the Broncos were busy scoring four power play markers, the Mustangs failed to take advantage on their own power play opportunities, finishing the evening 0-for-3.
The Broncos’ top line of Logan Schatz, Nick Shumlanski and former Mustang Jaxon Joseph were dangerous once again as they combined for five goals, and five assists in the win.
Brayden Camrud and Jacob Leicht added the other goals for the Broncos, while Bryce Fiske chipped in with a pair of assists.
Former Bronco Tristen Elder did all of the damage for the home side as he finished with both Mustangs goals.
Elder actually opened the scoring for the Mustangs just 50 seconds in, seemingly giving the home side the early momentum.
Penalties soon became a problem for the Mustangs and the Broncos made them pay.
After the home side was called for too many men on the ice, Joseph made his former team pay scoring his first of the playoffs, just six seconds into the man advantage.
Schatz gave the Broncos their first lead of the game at 15:01, converting on a Fiske feed for his first of the playoffs.
Schatz’s goal came 1:01 into the Broncos’ second power play, giving the visitors a 2-1 lead after one.
Joseph scored his second of the night just 57 seconds into the second period, again on the power play, to put the Broncos ahead 3-1.
Leicht then extended the Broncos’ lead to 4-1 with his first of the playoffs at 7:35 of period two.
That goal marked the end of the evening for Mustangs netminder Evan Plotnik, who was lifted in favour of Hunter Arps after giving up four goals on 17 shots.
That goal seemed to give the Mustangs a little life as Elder scored his second of the night a few minutes after the goaltending change, cutting the Broncos’ lead to 4-2 after two periods.
That was as close as the Mustangs would come however, as Shumlanski and Camrud combined for three goals in a span of 1:45 in the early part of the third period, giving the visitors a commanding 7-2 lead.
Trailing by five, the Mustangs could not generate any sustained pressure and went away quietly, to lose Game 1.
With the loss, the Mustangs trail one game to none, and now no longer have home ice advantage, as the Broncos snatched it away with their game one win.
Plotnik was charged with the loss in the Mustangs goal, managing just 13 saves, but Arps did not fare much better allowing three goals on 16 shots as the Broncos outshot the Mustangs 33-31.
