The Manitoba Bisons posted 32 shots on Friday in their home opener but were unable to solve Carl Stankowski in a 4-0 Calgary Dinos win. The Dinos improved to 4-1, while Manitoba fell to 2-1. 

Twenty six seconds in, Bisons goalie Braden Holt made a huge stop. Adam Kydd forced a turnover in neutral ice and charged back in an odd man rush with Mack Stewart. Holt stood tall in making the early save on Kydd's deke.
 
The Dinos pressured a lot in the early stages of the period but couldn't solve Holt. The Herd missed an opportunity of their own at 16:20 as a potential breakaway pass for Skyler Bruce bounced too far out of his range.
 
Calgary would have the first powerplay of the night as Andrew Boucher clipped Wyatt Wilson with a high stick in a corner puck battle at 13:59.
 
The Dinos powerplay nearly scored on a scramble opportunity in the crease but Holt stretched across the left leg to make the save, corralling the rebound with his glove. At 11:11 the Bisons would get their first powerplay off a miscommunication by the Calgary bench causing a too many men penalty.
 
The powerplay was short lived however as at 10:22, Dawson Pasternak would be taken off the ice after an overly aggressive back check resulted in a charging call to make the ice four on four. The revolving door to the penalty box would remain open as Hayden Pakkala would be called for roughing against Tanner Willick to give the Bisons a four on three advantage.
 
The Bisons wouldn't score on their powerplay but managed to rack up shots on net from distance with traffic in front. The best opportunity came off the stick of Blake Swetlikoff from the right circle, but it was gloved down by Stankowski at 9:04.

The Herd continued to buzz around the net but couldn't find the go-ahead goal. 
 
Manitoba killed an early penalty to start the second period (which began in the first) but fell behind on the scoreboard not long after. At 14:05, Pakkala picked up the puck along the boards, circled behind the net along the perimeter, out to the left circle and wired a wrister over the shoulder of Holt for the ice breaking goal.
 
The Bisons nearly tied it shortly after with a one timer pass to Boucher all alone in the slot but couldn't get past the Dino's defence in front.
 
"When you miss the net on many grade A chances it's tough to win," said Bisons head coach Gordon Burnett.
 
Stankowski was tested often in this period, first with a cross crease shot from Willick at 10:59 but he stood his ground and stopped it with the chest protector. The Herd saw a golden opportunity to tie the game slip through their fingers as they were unable to score on a five on three powerplay despite calling a timeout in the late stages of it.
 
"When you're on the penalty kill you got to battle. I thought the guys in front of me did a great job letting me see pucks, couple huge blocks for me, it's fun, you get excited for that and show what you got," said Stankowski on the penalty killing effort.
 
More players were sent to the box after a scrum in front of the Dino's net sent off Grady Lane and Logen Hammett for roughing at 4:20.
 
The Dinos used the added space on the ice to capitalize not long after. With 2:57 left in the period Connor Horning won a board battle near the blue line, brought the puck to the slot and fired a quick wrister under the left arm of Holt to make it 2-0.
 
A late period penalty to Wilson gave the Bisons a powerplay spark but with an open net and Stankowski sprawling they couldn't beat the netminder.
 
"I'll take whatever save I can get. If I have to use my head, my back whatever, I'll try to get across, I like every save equally," said Stankowski on his impressive cross crease saves.
 
The Bisons powerplay would carry over to the third period. The Bisons outshot the Dinos 14-7 in the second but trailed 2-0 at the end of the period.
 
The Bisons continued their pressure in the third period. Swetlikoff rifled a one timer from in tight off the blocker of Stankowski at 15:42 as part of many quality chances.
 
The Dinos got a fortunate bounce to extend their lead as Matt Corbet's shot would go off the right pad of Holt to Jacksenn Hungle, who'd bury it into the back of the net for his first of the season at 13:33 to make it 3-0.
 
The Bisons continued to put shots on net and had two powerplays in the late in the game but despite many shots, they couldn't muster up a goal.
 
"Special teams play such an important role in this game but a really big role in this league so when you can't score on seven opportunities, it definitely affects you," said Burnett on the powerplay struggles.
 
Kydd put the game on ice with an empty net goal with 1:18 to go. The Dinos held on to win 4-0 even though the Herd outshot them 32-22 in the game.
 
"I do think that there was a lot of good moments for us, we played really well at times, and I think most nights if we play that hockey game, I think it's not the same result," added Burnett.

The rematch is tomorrow at 2pm inside the Wayne Fleming Arena.