Wrapping up their three game southern road swing with a stop in Calgary, the Lloydminster Bobcats were unable to dig out of a four-goal hold despite a third period push Sunday afternoon.
Visiting the Calgary Canucks for the one and only time during the season, the Cats scored two goals in the third period but ultimately fell short in a 5-2 loss.
The Canucks scored four straight goals, with the fourth coming early in the final frame before Hunter Lamb and Ryley Hogan responded for the Cats, but an empty-net goal would seal their fate.
Calgary got on the board with a little over four minutes to play in the opening period when their captain Nic Herringer fired a power-play goal past Bobcat’s goaltender Cale Elder from the slot.
Then midway through the second period, the captain struck again.
Just moments after Logan Bromhead hit the post on a Bobcat’s 3-on-1 break, the Canucks came back the other way 3-on-1 and Herringer deflected a Sean Mccluskey pass behind Elder to double the advantage.
Into the final minutes of the second period, the Canucks added to their tally. Working with another man-advantage, Jackson Zloty slid home a lose puck at the side of the Lloydminster net.
With the Cats still on the penalty kill to start the third, Brandon Brazeau increased the Calgary lead to 4-0 just 1:14 into the final frame, with the third power-play goal of the contest.
Despite the large hill to overcome, the Bobcats began to work their way back into the contest.
Hunter Lamb scored his team leading 15th goal of the season on a tip in midway through the period. Then Hogan sent a seeing-eye point shot through a crowd and past Canuck’s goalie Brett Balas to trim the deficit to 4-2 with just over four minutes to play.
Unfortunately, that would be as close as the Cats would get, as Calgary put the game out of reach with an empty-net goal from Alex Heal in the final minute.
The Canucks outshot the Bobcats 31-28 in the contest.
With the power-play, Lloydminster finished 1 for 6, while the Canucks went 3 for 5.
The Bobcats will now return home on Wednesday to play host to the Grande Prairie Storm. Puck drop is set for 7:30 from the Centennial Civic Centre.