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May 8—AUSTIN — Ashton Bynum has been here before.
That's not something many of his teammates can say.
In fact, only one other member of the Austin Bruins — forward Jackson Rilei — has been on a team that has played in a North American Hockey League Central Division Finals game at Riverside Arena.
At this stage, everyone in black and gold is battle-tested and ready to face rival Bismarck for a third and fourth consecutive game. The Bruins host the Bobcats in Games 3 and 4 of the Central Division Finals at 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Austin.
The best-of-5 series is tied 1-1.
If either team wins both games in Austin this weekend, that team will advance to the Robertson Cup, the NAHL's national championship tournament. If the teams split the games at Riverside, they'll return to Bismarck for a decisive Game 5 on Monday.
"It's taking care of your body and I'd say the biggest thing is sleep," Bynum said when asked how the players can stay as fresh as possible during a long season and a long playoff run. "It kind of goes hand in hand. You have to keep your sleep schedule up — more than eight hours, honestly, especially after going five games in the first round.
"And then after practices, take care of your body, stretch, recover. Then get good sleep and start it over again the next day."
If anyone on the Bruins should have their postseason routine down-pat, it's Bynum, the veteran defenseman who will head to Division I Brown University in the fall, after three seasons in Austin. He said one of the biggest lessons he's learned is that there isn't a need to change that daily routine this time of year.
"No, I would say it's pretty similar," Bynum said of the intensity from one playoff series to the next. "I'd say the biggest difference is as you, you know, climb the pyramid, you get to the semifinals and then obviously the Robertson Cup, you just start feeling that pressure even more.
"Pressure can weigh down on you, but it's how you handle it. Getting that experience from my first two years here, I feel like I'm prepared for that for sure."
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound left-shot Bynum has played in 155 total games as a Bruin, including 13 playoff games. In all, the Tulsa, Okla., native has been on the Austin roster for 21 postseason games — he was in-and-out of the playoff lineup in 2023 — with at least two more remaining.
Bynum has accomplished one feat this postseason that he hadn't in his first two years in Austin: put up points in the playoffs. He has five assists in seven playoff games this year, the first postseason points of his NAHL career. Two of those assists came in Austin's 3-1 win at Bismarck in Game 1 of the Division Finals last weekend.
Bynum and the defensive corps — as well as star goalie Jack Solomon, a Massachusetts Lowell commit — are in the spotlight in this series, against a veteran Bismarck team that thrives on getting up and down the ice quickly.
"They're kind of a run-and-gun type of team," Bynum said. "They're opportunistic. They like to score goals on the rush, which can be danferous, but if we do our jobs and play our systems, we should be able to shut that down and get some chances of our own."
The United States Hockey League held its annual Phase II Draft on Tuesday, and three current Bruins — two defensemen, one forward — were picked by teams from the top junior hockey league in the country.
Warroad native Ryan Lund was selected in the first round of the Draft, No. 6 overall, by the Tri-City Storm (Kearney, Neb.). In his first year of junior hockey, the 6-4, 205-pound defenseman has been everything the Bruins could have asked for. He had four goals and 18 assists in 58 regular season games, and has added a goal and assist in seven playoff games.
In the 11th round, the Lincoln (Neb.) Stars selected forward Evan Malkhassian. The 5-foot-9, 165-pound right wing has been among the Bruins best players in the playoffs; his five postseason points are tied for the team lead. In total this season, the Toronto native — and brother of the team's second-leading scorer Luc Malkhassian — has 10 goals and 25 assists, for 35 points, in 61 games.
The third Bruin drafted was another blue-liner, as Lake Superior State University commit Nate Williams went in the 17th round to the Dubuque (Iowa) Fighting Saints. Williams led all Bruins defensemen in scoring this season with 10 goals and 41 points in the regular season. Perhaps as much as anyone on the team, Williams, a 6-1, 200-pound right-shot defenseman, has enjoyed his time in Austin and wants the season to continue for two more weeks.
"It means everything to me to go out there and have the Austin Bruins logo on my chest and play for this team, this organization, for this community," Williams said. "It's all for them and we have to work our hardest to make it happen."
(Best 3-of-5)
Friday, May 2: Austin 3, Bismarck 1
Saturday, May 3: Bismarck 2, Austin 3 (series tied 1-1)
Friday, May 9: Bismarck at Austin, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, May 10: Bismarck at Austin, 7:05 p.m.
Monday, May 12 (if necessary): Austin at Bismarck, 7:15 p.m.
Continue reading...
That's not something many of his teammates can say.
In fact, only one other member of the Austin Bruins — forward Jackson Rilei — has been on a team that has played in a North American Hockey League Central Division Finals game at Riverside Arena.
At this stage, everyone in black and gold is battle-tested and ready to face rival Bismarck for a third and fourth consecutive game. The Bruins host the Bobcats in Games 3 and 4 of the Central Division Finals at 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Austin.
The best-of-5 series is tied 1-1.
If either team wins both games in Austin this weekend, that team will advance to the Robertson Cup, the NAHL's national championship tournament. If the teams split the games at Riverside, they'll return to Bismarck for a decisive Game 5 on Monday.
"It's taking care of your body and I'd say the biggest thing is sleep," Bynum said when asked how the players can stay as fresh as possible during a long season and a long playoff run. "It kind of goes hand in hand. You have to keep your sleep schedule up — more than eight hours, honestly, especially after going five games in the first round.
"And then after practices, take care of your body, stretch, recover. Then get good sleep and start it over again the next day."
If anyone on the Bruins should have their postseason routine down-pat, it's Bynum, the veteran defenseman who will head to Division I Brown University in the fall, after three seasons in Austin. He said one of the biggest lessons he's learned is that there isn't a need to change that daily routine this time of year.
"No, I would say it's pretty similar," Bynum said of the intensity from one playoff series to the next. "I'd say the biggest difference is as you, you know, climb the pyramid, you get to the semifinals and then obviously the Robertson Cup, you just start feeling that pressure even more.
"Pressure can weigh down on you, but it's how you handle it. Getting that experience from my first two years here, I feel like I'm prepared for that for sure."
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound left-shot Bynum has played in 155 total games as a Bruin, including 13 playoff games. In all, the Tulsa, Okla., native has been on the Austin roster for 21 postseason games — he was in-and-out of the playoff lineup in 2023 — with at least two more remaining.
Bynum has accomplished one feat this postseason that he hadn't in his first two years in Austin: put up points in the playoffs. He has five assists in seven playoff games this year, the first postseason points of his NAHL career. Two of those assists came in Austin's 3-1 win at Bismarck in Game 1 of the Division Finals last weekend.
Bynum and the defensive corps — as well as star goalie Jack Solomon, a Massachusetts Lowell commit — are in the spotlight in this series, against a veteran Bismarck team that thrives on getting up and down the ice quickly.
"They're kind of a run-and-gun type of team," Bynum said. "They're opportunistic. They like to score goals on the rush, which can be danferous, but if we do our jobs and play our systems, we should be able to shut that down and get some chances of our own."
The United States Hockey League held its annual Phase II Draft on Tuesday, and three current Bruins — two defensemen, one forward — were picked by teams from the top junior hockey league in the country.
Warroad native Ryan Lund was selected in the first round of the Draft, No. 6 overall, by the Tri-City Storm (Kearney, Neb.). In his first year of junior hockey, the 6-4, 205-pound defenseman has been everything the Bruins could have asked for. He had four goals and 18 assists in 58 regular season games, and has added a goal and assist in seven playoff games.
In the 11th round, the Lincoln (Neb.) Stars selected forward Evan Malkhassian. The 5-foot-9, 165-pound right wing has been among the Bruins best players in the playoffs; his five postseason points are tied for the team lead. In total this season, the Toronto native — and brother of the team's second-leading scorer Luc Malkhassian — has 10 goals and 25 assists, for 35 points, in 61 games.
The third Bruin drafted was another blue-liner, as Lake Superior State University commit Nate Williams went in the 17th round to the Dubuque (Iowa) Fighting Saints. Williams led all Bruins defensemen in scoring this season with 10 goals and 41 points in the regular season. Perhaps as much as anyone on the team, Williams, a 6-1, 200-pound right-shot defenseman, has enjoyed his time in Austin and wants the season to continue for two more weeks.
"It means everything to me to go out there and have the Austin Bruins logo on my chest and play for this team, this organization, for this community," Williams said. "It's all for them and we have to work our hardest to make it happen."
(Best 3-of-5)
Friday, May 2: Austin 3, Bismarck 1
Saturday, May 3: Bismarck 2, Austin 3 (series tied 1-1)
Friday, May 9: Bismarck at Austin, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, May 10: Bismarck at Austin, 7:05 p.m.
Monday, May 12 (if necessary): Austin at Bismarck, 7:15 p.m.
Continue reading...
