Aberdeen Wings Lead Bismarck 2-0 in Best of 5 Series After Back to Back OT Games

Sports stats



NAHL Aberdeen Wings

Aberdeen Wings Lead Bismarck 2-0 in Best of 5 Series After Back to Back OT Games

April 22, 2025 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Aberdeen Wings News Release


The Aberdeen Wings traveled to Bismarck, North Dakota to take on the Bismarck Bobcats in Round One of the Robertson Cup Playoffs for the Central Division Semifinals. The Aberdeen Wings, who went into the postseason as the 4-seed, ended up coming home with a 2-0 series lead.

Friday, April 18th (Bismarck, ND: VFW Sports Center) The first period would start out as a very back-and-forth match and Aberdeen would work to outshoot the Bobcats throughout the first period. The Wings would get the first Power Play of the game, but would be unsuccessful on the scoring chance. Just after time would run out however, Nikolai Tishkevich would be able to tip the puck past the Bobcat goaltender on a feed from Cooper Anderson and Matthew Martin-Gaudreault to give the Wings a 1-0 lead leaving the first period.

The second period would start similarly to the first. Both teams would continue to have their chances, but at the 8:58 mark, Bryce Johnson would again find the back of the net for the Wings with assists coming from Nick Comfort and Leonid Bulgakov. Just a minute and a half after taking a 2-0 lead, Bismarck would officially get on the board when Tommy Cronin would score. Shortly after, the Wings would take an untimely penalty, giving the Bobcats a chance to set up on the Power Play. They then would score on their Power Play unit, crediting Louie Kamienski for the goal. Just like the Wings, the Bobcats would then get their turn at taking an untimely penalty, and the Wings would return the favor when Sebastian Lillsund would score with a feed from Leonid Bulgakov and Gavin Reed, once again reclaiming their lead. Wings would have the lead on the scoresheet 3-2 heading into the third period.

In the third period, it seemed as though the Bobcats were going to do everything they could in order to even the score, or get two more in order to get the game in regulation. They would outshoot the Wings in this period 21-6, but the Wings would not be discouraged. Aberdeen would have to kill off an early slashing penalty, and would do so successfully. However, towards the end of the period, they would take a double-minor high-sticking penalty, placing Luke Backel in the box for four minutes. As time was expiring for the penalty, Keanu Krenn for the Bobcats was able to even the score. After, Bismarck would pull their goaltender for the remaining minutes of the period in an attempt to claim the game in regulation, but their efforts would be unsuccessful. As Wings players raced down one end to either score in the empty net, or ice the puck, Bismarck players were on the other end racing into the Wings goal, and it was knocked off its pegs. A whistle was blown, and the period had ended. This game would be going to overtime. Due to this being the postseason, Playoff rules state that overtime periods would have a regular intermission with 20 minute periods of 5 on 5 hockey. The first goal wins.

The overtime period again would see Bismarck outshoot Aberdeen 2-1, but it would only take Aberdeen one to find the back of the net. Nikolai Tishkevich was able to free the puck on the defensive end of the ice, as Gustas Zemaitis would pass it off from the boards, and Matthew Martin-Gaudreault would fire it into the back of the net - the Wings would win in overtime with a score of 4-3 just 3:01 in!

Damon Cunningham was in net for the Wings on Friday totalling an ice time of 63:01, and stopping 41 of 44 shots faced.

Stars for Friday night were Nikolai Tishkevich (1 goal, 1 assist), Tommy Cronin (1 goal, 2 assists), and Matthew Martin-Gaudreault (1 goal, 1 assist, OT Winner).

Saturday, April 19th (Bismarck, ND: VFW Sports Center) Saturday would have a bit of a turnaround from Friday as it would have less shots on goal, less scoring, and it would see more players in the box. Just like games normally do on the second night of play, things would seem to get a bit more chippy between these two rivals.

Both teams throughout the first period would get a few chances at scoring, but mainly it was neutral zone play. At the halfway mark of the first period, there would be coincidental penalties for Wings Cooper Anderson and Bobcats Nick Snyder, and these would notch the first penalties of the game. After, the Wings would have an attempt to score, but the Bobcats would take a Goalkeeper Interference penalty, giving Aberdeen an opportunity to set up a Power Play unit. Unfortunately, they were unable to score. The teams would go scoreless throughout the first period.

Right away in the second period, the Wings would get sent to the box for tripping, and the Bobcats would now get their opportunity to set up on the Power Play, but the Wings Penalty Kill would come up stronger. After even more neutral zone play between the teams, the Bobcats would get sent to the box again, but the Wings would fall short and again would be unable to score. As time was running low on the clock, neither team would still be able to record a goal for the game, and tensions were rising. As the buzzer sounded to end the period, players would take even more coincidental roughing penalties.

The Bobcats would come out of the gate in the third period desperate to get on the score sheet, and it could be seen in the way they outshot the Wings throughout the third period. However, the Wings would not go down without a fight. They would continuously block shots, and ensure that they were putting up an equal game. The final buzzer would sound ending regulation, and yet again they would be going into overtime. Only this time, with a 0-0 score, and no one even getting on the scoresheet yet. Whoever scored in OT would be the lone goalscorer of the night.

This overtime period would not take long, and it would be a bit of a flip from the night before. Aberdeen would outshoot Bismarck 3-1 after getting control of the puck right away. Luke Backel would be able to gather the puck after a Bismarck shot attempt, Cade Moxham would be able to race it down the ice and pass it to Cooper Anderson who would eventually pass it back to Moxham, and Moxham would be able to stuff it home and win it for the Wings.

Damon Cunningham was in net for the Wings totalling an ice time of 61:30 and stopping all 27 shots he faced. Notching a postseason shutout.

Three stars of the night were Thomas Anderson (20 saves on 21 shots), Damon Cunningham (27 saves on 27 shots), and Cade Moxham (1 goal, OT winner).

The Wings now head back to Aberdeen to take on the Bismarck Bobcats in the Odde Ice Center for Game 3 on Friday, April 25th, of the Central Division Semifinals. The theme is WHITEOUT! Be sure to pack the Odde!

If necessary, Game 4 would be Saturday, April 26th in the Odde, and Game 5 would be Monday April 28th in Bismarck in the VFW Sports Center.

Tickets can be purchased at all C-Express locations in Aberdeen, or at tickets.aberdeenwings.com!

For all things Wings, be sure to follow us on all of our social media!

Check out the Aberdeen Wings Statistics

• Discuss this story on the North American Hockey League message board...

North American Hockey League Stories from April 22, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central