A three-goal first period spurred Fairbanks to a 5-2 win over Minot, as Jax Murray scored two goals and added an assist to earn the most ink on the scoresheet for the Ice Dogs. 

Murray's first goal came early in the first period, as he shoved a backhand shot past Minot goaltender Samu Lonkila from the top of the crease. The Ice Dogs' second goal came just 36 seconds later, as Caleb Hite found an upper-corner for an unassisted tally. Samuel Ruffin finished off the period with just under two minutes on the clock, extending the Ice Dogs' lead to 3-0. 

Colby Enns pared the Fairbanks lead to 3-1 with a goal less than one minute into the second period, but the Minotauros could not capitalize on any offensive pressure and settled for the lone goal of the second frame. 

Midway through the third period, Grant Loven pulled Minot within one goal before Fairbanks' Murray answered with his second of the night. Nolan Schaeffer tacked on an empty-net goal to extend the Fairbanks lead to its conclusive 5-2 mark.  

Josh Benson finished with 22 saves for the Ice Dogs, while Lonkila struggled between the pipes for Minot, stopping just 17 of 21 shots. 

Christian Stoever's 32 stops weren't enough to save Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Friday night, as the Knights struggled mightily in the offensive zone and fell to No. 2 seed Shreveport 2-0. 

Ryan Burnett scored the first goal of the game for the Mudbugs in the first period, setting the stage for a raucous second frame in which no goals were scored, but puck battles and physical play provided more than enough entertainment. 

The No. 3 seed Knights got their first shot of the third stanza off nearly 10 minutes into the period, a dumped puck from their own zone that somehow found its way to Shreveport goaltender Jaxon Castor. The Knights finished the game with 11 total shots. 

Brendan VanSweden scored an insurance goal in the third period for the Mudbugs, who now have a 1-0 series lead over the Knights.