Winnipeg ‘Bulldogs’ will Jets onward in Stanley Cup Playoffs – Duluth News Tribune

DULUTH — Former Minnesota Duluth defensemen Neal Pionk and Dylan Samberg, both of Hermantown, played over 40 minutes each Sunday night for the Winnipeg Jets in a come-from-behind 4-3 double-overtime victory over the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 of their first round series.

Pionk had three assists and finished with 46 minutes, 15 seconds of ice time. He was credited with the primary assist on the game-winning goal after his shot from the blue line nicked Blues center Oskar Sundqvist and Jets’ captain Adam Lowry — who was given the goal — en route to the back of the net with 3:50 left in the second OT.

Pionk and Samberg assisted on

the extra-attacker goal by teammate Vladislav Namestnikov

that got the Jets back in the game as the Jets center pulled Winnipeg within one by putting a puck in off Blues defenseman Ryan Suter with 1:56 left in the game.

The Jets forced overtime and saved their season with

another extra attacker goal with 2.2 seconds left.

Pionk — who didn’t leave the ice much in the final three minutes of regulation — was on the ice for that goal, as well.

Winnipeg lost defenseman Josh Morrissey early in Game 7 on Sunday, leading to extra shifts for the five remaining defensemen. Samberg logged 44 minutes as the Jets face a quick turnaround for the second round, hosting the Dallas Stars on Wednesday.

Samberg and Pionk are two of four former Bulldogs playing for the Jets this postseason along with former UMD forwards/linemates Alex Iafallo and Dominic Toninato. Iafallo was on the ice for two of the final three Winnipeg goals while Toninato — playing in his third NHL postseason — suited up for the second time in the series.

Iafallo, Toninato and Pionk were teammates on UMD’s 2016-17 team that lost to Denver in the NCAA championship in Chicago. The coach of the Pioneers was Jim Montgomery, who is now coach of the St. Louis Blues.

James Carey Lauder / Imagn Images via Reuters Connect

Samberg won back-to-back national championships at UMD as a freshman in 2018 and sophomore in 2019 while he and the Bulldogs shot at a three-peat was dashed by COVID-19 in 2020.

The four “Winnipeg Bulldogs” are the only UMD alumni remaining in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after Justin Faulk and the Blues were beaten on Sunday. Mikey Anderson and the Los Angeles Kings lost in the first round to the Edmonton Oilers.

Three former UMD Bulldogs are chasing a second-consecutive Professional Women’s Hockey League Walter Cup championship while seven are seeking their first PWHL postseason title this spring.

The defending champion Minnesota Frost will take on the Toronto Sceptres in a best-of-three series that begins Wednesday while the Montreal Victoire host the Ottawa Charge beginning on Thursday.

Fourth-seeded Minnesota is the defending champs and returns three former Bulldogs from last year’s title team in forward Michela Cava, defenseman Maggie Flaherty and goaltender Maddie Rooney. The former UMD goalie enters the postseason second in the league in goals against average at 2.07.

The third-seeded Charge are making their first postseason appearance after missing the inaugural tournament. They feature five former Bulldogs, including Jocelyne Larocque, Katerina Mrazova, Gabbie Hughes, Ashton Bell and Mannon McMahon.

The Charge and Frost both needed wins Saturday — the final day of the regular season — to get in the playoffs, with the Frost needed two regulation wins in their final two games to get in. The first win came over the Charge, who then needed an overtime goal by Mrazova — playing Saturday with a broken hand — to get in.

Montreal is the top seed and got to choose its first round opponent, picking Ottawa. Former Bulldog Catherine Daoust has been a reserve player for Montreal this year, playing in one game.

Annika (Linser) Rankila is the lone former Bulldog playing for second-seeded Toronto, but has dressed for just three games this year.

This story originally listed the incorrect start date for the second-round series between the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars. It was updated at 2:10 p.m. May 5. The series begins Wednesday. The News Tribune regrets the error.