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NAHL: MN Magicians Fall To Fairbanks

By Spencer St. Dennis, 04/21/18, 12:00AM CDT

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The Ice Dogs completed a comeback and advanced to the next round of the NAHL playoffs.


Fairbanks goaltender Josh Benson celebrates after his Ice Dogs compete the come-from-behind victory over the Magicians.

Magicians' Season Comes To Close

The Fairbanks Ice Dogs rolled into town after taking the first two games of the series on home ice and needing only one win in the next  three games to advance.  Undeterred, the Magicians came flying out of the gates on Friday night. 

The line of Ethan DeStefani, Cameron Buhl, and Carter Breitenfeldt led the charge for Minnesota early. The Magicians dominated most of the first period with goals by Buhl on the rush and an unreal individual effort by Davis Kirkendall late in the period, shorthanded.

Fairbanks came out with great vigor in the second frame, putting the Magicians on their heels. Several minutes later Kirkendall scored again to put Minnesota back up by two. Seconds later Luke Mobley crashes the net on a two-on-one and cashes in for Fairbanks to draw within one. The Magicians poured on the pressure for the final couple minutes of the period and Josh Benson came up with two huge saves to keep Fairbanks within one. 

The third period was a  grudge match, with both teams bearing down and gutting out the final stanza. As the period wound down the Ice Dogs began to inch closer to Minnesota's lead. Samuel Ruffin tied it on the power play with 2:38 left and less than a minute later Connor Chilton tipped a shot off the bar and in to put the Ice Dogs up 4-3. With the net empty, the Magicians failed to set up any meaningful offensive zone pressure and time ran out on the game and their season. 


Samuel Ruffin scores the eventual game-winner for Fairbanks on Friday night.

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