2024 Clark Cup Playoffs: Powell Plays Hero With OT Winner To Give Dubuque 2-1 Series Lead

Takeaways from a pair of Eastern Conference playoff games in the USHL on Tuesday

The 2024 USHL Clark Cup Playoffs continued on Tuesday night with a pivotal pair of Eastern Conference games. The games marked a crucial stage with both series tied 1-1 going in.

The Dubuque Fighting Saints defeated the Youngstown Phantoms in overtime. Each team scored once in the third period, but Dubuque scored with 26.2 seconds left in the extra session to take a 2-1 series lead.

On the other side, the Muskegon Lumberjacks displayed their dominance by shutting out the Green Bay Gamblers. The Jacks showed their offensive prowess by scoring a goal in both the first and third periods, while goaltender Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev was a wall, turning aside all 28 shots on goal.

Let's go to our key takeaways from Tuesday's games.

Who else but Powell?

Dubuque's Noah Powell had a remarkable and historic regular season. The Ohio State commit tallied four hat tricks and racked up a franchise-record 43 goals and 16 power-play goals.

With the first two periods remaining scoreless on Tuesday, Saints' James Reeder opened the scoring with 6:27 left in regulation. Youngstown's Mikey Burchill tied the game with under two minutes to go.

In overtime, an offensive zone faceoff and failed defensive zone clear attempt by Youngstown allowed Powell to rip a shot from the high slot and into the back of the net.

Saints netminder Kevin Reidler was excellent, stopping 28 of 29 shots on goal, including six in the overtime period. Dubuque can wrap up the series on Wednesday in Youngstown.

Gadzhiev Shuts Down Gamblers

Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev continues to prove his value as a mid-season acquisition for a Muskegon team that needed stability in its net.

The energetic goaltender won 18 of his 30 appearances and collected three USHL weekly honors for Goalie of the Week.

Gadzhiev has carried that success into the playoffs, stopping all 28 of Green Bay's shot attempts.

Meanwhile, forward Justin Solovey opened the scoring later in the first period with his third goal and fifth point in this series. With Muskegon clinging to a 1-0 lead, Matvei Gridin buried the empty-netter to put the game away.

The Jacks can close out the series on Wednesday in Green Bay.

Former Youngstown Phantom Transfers To Michigan