Wilderness season is on line in 0-2 hole

The Minnesota Wilderness returns home fighting for its playoff lives this week, trailing Anchorage, 2-0, in their best-of-five opening round series.

The Wilderness lost 4-0 and 2-1 in overtime last weekend in Alaska, and would need to win three straight home games this weekend to advance in the Robertson Cup playoffs.

Game 3 is 7:15 p.m. Friday, with games 4 and 5, if necessary, at 7:15 p.m. Saturday and 5:15 p.m. Sunday.

The Wilderness got 31 saves from Wassau, Wisconsin’s Adam Prokop last Saturday, but Tyler Hennen scored 3 minutes, 48 seconds into the 5-minute overtime to seal the win for Anchorage, the no. 1 seed in the Midwest Division portion of the North American Hockey League’s Robertson Cup playoffs.

Minnesota broke a scoreless tie in the third period on Saturday, getting a shorthanded breakaway goal from Joe Cesario. Anchorage later tied the game on a power play goal from Cole Christian.

Minnesota went 0-for-5 on the power play during the opening two games to thwart their efforts, which included a 32-save performance from Prokop in Game 1 on April 19.

Four different Wolverines scored in the opening game of the series, which returns to Northwoods Credit Union Arena with the Minnesota franchise on slippery ground.

The weekend’s series could be the final home games for the franchise in Cloquet.

Team owner Barry Bohman bought another team in the North American Tier III Hockey League that’s a step down from NAHL play and is also being renamed the Minnesota Wilderness.

That tier III team could be ticketed for Cloquet as owner Bohman continues to negotiate with Eveleth and possibly others about relocating one of the Wilderness franchises to the Iron Range.

Minnesota last won the Robertson Cup championship in 2015-16 under coach Corey Millen. The franchise has made the playoffs nine times in its 11 seasons.

In the other Midwest Division semifinal, the Wisconsin Windigo hold a 2-0 edge over the Janesville Jets, having won games 4-2 and 2-0 last weekend.