The Shreveport Mudbugs (18-14-5) got a pair of goals from Nik Miller and survived a late push to hold on for a 3-2 victory over the New Mexico Ice Wolves at George’s Pond in Hirsch Coliseum Saturday night.
New Mexico took advantage of the game’s first PP in the opening period at 12:50 when Dillan Bentley took a perfect pass from the LW circle as he roofed in his 20th goal of the year to make it a 1-0 contest. Shreveport clawed back late in the period at 19:46 when Burke Simpson stormed through the slot and backhanded home his fifth tally of the season to even the score, 1-1. Austin Brimmer and Davis Goukler set Simpson in front and earned the assists on the game-tying score.
Shreveport carried the momentum into the 2nd period at 2:26 when Timofei Khokhlachev found Nik Miller cutting through the slot as he tapped in his gift goal of the season to give the Bugs a lead at 2-1. It would be just 51 seconds for Miller to get another tally as he took a loose puck in the slot and rifled home his second goal of the night top shelf to spread the margin to 3-1 in favor of the home team. The Bugs led in SOG, 27-19.
New Mexico got closer at 4:42 of the third period when William Howard redirected home his 17th tally of the season to cut the Bugs lead to 3-2. That would be the closest NM would get as Shreveport survived a late push and a close out a 3-2 victory and improve to 6-0-1 in their last seven games.
Devon Bobak continues his hot stretch winning his 15th game in net making 22 saves on the night.
The Bugs will hit the road for the rest of the month of February beginning with a two-game series at the Nytex Sports Centre to battle their arch rival in the Lone Star Brahmas. Game 1 will be next Friday night with puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m.