Des Moines Buccaneers beat Maskedon Lumberjacks 4:1 in USAHL action on September 16th. The visitors took maximum points from their second game, while the hosts collected just one from their afternoon outing. We had backed the home side at 56 per cent confidence, and the match went the other way entirely.
What shifted things was the Buccaneers' ability to control tempo from the first periods. They never got out of second gear, moving the puck with purpose and finding space behind the Lumberjacks' defensive structure. The hosts looked like they had not travelled to make up the numbers, reacting rather than dictating.
Des Moines built their advantage through sustained pressure. They pressed high up the pitch, forcing turnovers in dangerous areas and converting when opportunities came. The Lumberjacks could only watch as the scoreboard ticked over, unable to find any rhythm in their own attack.
By then the result was a formality. The visitors shifted to a back three defensively and picked up two bookings in five minutes, but the damage was done. They had already won this one, and there was no need to rush.
The standings now show the Buccaneers sitting top with four points from two games and nothing to lose. The Lumberjacks sit fourth with two points, one win and one defeat. They cannot afford another slip in what is shaping up as a tight race.
