Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos taken by Lizzie Taylor, and to hear post game comments from Graham Johnson, Patrick Klumpp, Isaiah Boyce, and Coach Andy Johnson. Also click the AUDIO button to hear Brett Labre's player spotlight interview.

ESCANABA---The mantra in playoff hockey is “survive and advance”, and that's exactly what the Escanaba Eskymos had to do Tuesday night during a battle with the Negaunee Miners in the MHSAA Regional quarterfinals.
 

The Eskymos had to grind out a 3-1 win against a Miners team that they had mercied in both regular season contests. This time, however, the Miners were up to the task, especially goaltender Patrick Klumpp.

Klumpp, a senior, shook off an early goal against him to make save after save after save, and his Negaunee teammates gained confidence as the game went on. Suddenly, a Negaunee team that could barely get the puck into the Eskymo zone during the regular season was knee-deep in a playoff war inside the Wells Sports Complex.

But the Eskymos survived on goals by Graham Johnson late in the second period, and Nolan Bink midway through the third period, and will face Marquette in the regional semifinal Thursday night at Marquette's Lakeview Arena.

“It's playoff hockey and it doesn't matter what you do during the regular season,” Escanaba Coach Andy Johnson said. “All it takes is Patrick Klumpp to play an amazing game, and get us frustrated, get us gripping our sticks a little too tight. We were getting really good scoring chances. We couldn't get anything by him. We were missing by inches, half-inches. It was just one of those nights where you're gripping them too tight.”

Escanaba senior defenseman Isaiah Boyce says the guys were warned that this could happen.

“They came out flying and we weren't ready for it,” Boyce said. “Coach Andy was telling us, don't take them lightly, because if we do, they'll stomp us. We came out, and we weren't ready for it, I guess. The first goal hyped us, but then their goalie started playing amazing. Our shots, I mean, we missed the net so many times, it's insane. If those would have went in, we'd be out of here (on another mercy-rule win).”

Klumpp was by far the game's first star, but it didn't start out great for the Miners senior goaltender. The first shot he faced, 1:53, came on a short-side stuff by Owen Labonte, who weaved his way through three defenders to get the path to the Miner net.

“I pushed a little too far over to the other side, and I wanted it back,” Klumpp said.

But he shook it off quickly, making 14 saves the rest of the period, most of them from Grade A scoring locations. Brett Labre ripped a point blank shot attempt over the top of the net. Graham Johnson was stopped on a break. LaBonte was set up with a perfect pass in between the circles and he, too, was stopped by Klumpp.

“Honestly, today, I feel I played one of my better games of the season here,” Klumpp said. “I shut down pretty much everything I could. Only a few got let in. It was a do-or-die game tonight. Even though there were a lot of shots, I had to get the work done. I was there to play.”

And play, he did. Even into the second period, Klumpp kept closing the door on the Eskymos. Then, the Miners got what they needed. Lucas Reamer threw a knuckler on net from the point and it found its way past Eskymo goalie Cully Hayes.

All of a sudden, the game was tied at 1-1 at the 7:23 mark of the second period.

Toward the end of the period, the Miners caught a huge break when they were afforded a five-minute power play on a major checking-from-behind penalty taken by Bink.

Negaunee, however, barely got its power play going when it took a costly penalty of its own. Owen Debelak was whistled for an elbowing call, so it went to 4-on-4 hockey. And seconds later, Graham Johnson was all alone between the circles and sniped one past Klumpp, giving Escanaba a 2-1 lead with 1:14 left in the period.

“I don't even know how I got so open,” Johnson said. “It was like they weren't even playing defense. Ben (Sands) made a great play coming in to pinch. Got the puck, and I was calling for it. Hits me in the slot, and I think their goalie even got a piece of the shot, but I just powered it through his jersey.”

Going into the third period, the Eskymos started playing more defensively.

“First, we had to kill off that penalty, and just stay defensive,” Coach Johnson said. “Keeping our third forward high. Just eliminating their odd-man rushes. Trying to get turnovers in the neutral zone. We told them halfway through that third period that we weren't taking any chances over the red line. We were getting pucks deep, and then just sending one forechecker. It seemed to work pretty good because Negaunee was getting tired. Their passes were a little bit off after that.”

The Eskymos got an insurance goal from Bink with 7:25 left in the game, and then they had to fight off another Negaunee power play when LaBonte was called for hooking. That penalty, though, was a “good penalty” as LaBonte stopped a breakaway.

The Miners were unable to pull Klumpp in the final minutes for an extra attacker, and the Eskymos survived with the 3-1 win, outshooting the Miners, 42-28.

Hayes stopped 27 shots for the Eskymos, with some of his best work coming in the early part of the third period when the Miners were pushing to retie the game.