Miller starts on bench as Chicago wins game three in a rout

Heading into game three of the Clark Cup Final Friday night on home ice, the Fargo Force had the USHL’s hottest goaltender in Andrew Miller. 

The problem is, he was on the bench until the game was out of reach. 

Despite posting a 0.84 goals against and a .971 save percentage in four playoff appearances, the Force elected to go with regular season starter Brennan Boynton. 

It might not have been the right decision. 

The visiting Chicago Steel put four shots past Boynton on 17 shots, including 2 on 6 in the first period en route to an easy 7-1 win. The Steel now lead the best-of-five series two games to one and can wrap it up with a win Saturday night. 

The second half of the first period provided some of the best hockey we have seen this series. The teams combined for just 11 shots in the period, but there were three goals later in the period, some big hits both ways, and even a decent scrum at the end of the period. It started to feel like playoff hockey. 

But if Miller’s presence on the bench was a surprise at the start of the game, it was even more of a surprise to start the second. Boynton couldn’t really be faulted on either of the goals, especially Matt Coronato’s power play goal that opened the scoring, but he didn’t come up with the amazing saves like Miller had been. 

By the midway point of the second, Boynton had allowed a couple of softer goals, Miller finally entered the game, but Fargo looked like a defeated team. Unlike the last two games, this looked like a practice for the Steel. They skated wherever they wanted, including splitting through three players on one goal, they attacked the net at will, and even seemed the more physical team much of the game.

Fargo tried to create some energy in the last ten minutes through scrums, but with USHL rules increasing fighting penalties in the final ten minutes, there were no takers. 

Now Fargo finds themselves with a different type of goaltending controversy, one not nearly as positive as just a game ago. On the other hand, Chicago now has that confidence and swagger that seemed missing from the series until now.