Squirrels 5, Mastodons 4 (SO)

The Squirrels pretty much dominated the winless Mastodons in every way Wednesday, except on the scoreboard, and escaped with a 5-4 shootout victory in a game that shouldn’t have been close.

The Squirrels scored on the first two shots of the game, as Tero Moberg and Tony Richelsen each flung pucks at the net that went through the goaltender. But those would be the last easy goals the Squirrels would get, though they kept peppering the Mastodons with shots and high-quality chances. Meanwhile, the Mastodons scored twice in the first period while Mike Bartock netted one more for the Squirrels.

The teams traded goals in the second period, with Billy King hitting in a rebound after Mario Constantinou’s effort.

The Squirrels stacked the lines a couple of times on power plays, even as the score was tied 4-4 down the stretch.

The Squirrels caught a break in the shootout when the Mastodons’ leading scorer over-skated the puck during the shootout. Craig Beatty made the remaining two saves and Bartock scored on his attempt to give the Squirrels the win.