By Mason Lyttle (@MasonLyttle) | Jan 19, 2018 | 10:56pm
RICHFIELD, MN — A couple of first period goals and excellent goaltending down the stretch earned the Minnesota Magicians the win Friday, ending the Jets’ win streak at six games.
The Jets’ bad habit of allowing the game’s first goal bit them again Friday, this time off the stick of Magicians defenseman Cullen McCabe (1:13 1st). Janesville turned up the pressure, generating a few decent looks approaching the midway point of the period. Brenden MacLaren (10:41 1st) put home a rebound from a TJ Polglaze chance to knot the game at 1-1. Just a few minutes later, Kyler Grundy (12:46 1st) knifed through the entire Jets defense, one by one, and sniped a short-side shot to regain the lead. With 3:41 left on the 1st period clock, Polglaze lined up Minnesota defenseman Dima Kobylyanskyi for a crushing hit along the boards at center. Kobylyanskyi ducked, sending Polglaze overtop of him and into the glass, where his stick shattered the pane. Neither player was injured on the play, and officials sent the teams to the locker room, tacking on the remaining time to the start of the 2nd period.
In case you were wondering: no, a pane of plexiglass cannot stop a flying @TJPogy_10 pic.twitter.com/cZ23wPhozr
— Janesville Jets (@JanesvilleJets1) January 20, 2018
The teams switched sides after playing the leftover clock from the first period, and the physicality continued. Janesville piled on the chances but could not find the back of the net as Magicians goaltender Conor Klaers stood tall. Forty minutes expired with Janesville trailing by a goal and not a penalty called to either team.
Minnesota got the jump in the third with a goal from Ethan DeStefani (2:51 3rd), extending their lead to two. More hits and more chances filled the middle of the frame until Jakov Novak (11:51 3rd) crashed the net and scored the Jets’ second rebound goal of the game, extending his personal point streak to 11 games and cutting the lead to one goal. The Jets pushed harder, building their lead on the shot clock to a game-high 12 at one point, but just could not crack Klaers.
The same two teams face off again tomorrow night. You can watch the action live from the Richfield Ice Arena on HockeyTV or follow the Jets’ Twitter page for live scoring updates.
