Nationals play two with Bozeman at home

The Glacier Nationals have been on the road for their past four games and as they return home this weekend, they are hoping to put an end to a six-game losing streak.

The Nationals, who play in the Frontier Division of the North American Tier 3 Hockey League, last won a game back on Oct. 23, when they defeated the Gillette Wild 6-4. But since then, it's been a rough stretch for Glacier, which is something the team hopes to change on its home ice in back-to-back games against the Bozeman Ice Dogs. The two teams will play tonight and Saturday inside the Havre Ice Dome. Tonight's game gets underway at 8 and Saturday the first puck will drop at 7:30 p.m.

While the Nationals come into the two-game set with a record of 2-12-1, the Ice Dogs, who finished near the bottom of the division a year ago, are a respectable 6-3-2. Thanks to their strong start, Bozeman finds itself in playoff contention. The Nationals, on the other hand, are sitting in last place in the Frontier and in order for them to climb out of the cellar, they need to put an end to their losing skid.

Through 15 games, the biggest problem plaguing the Nationals has been their defense. Thus far, they have given up an average of more than six goals per game, while the team is scoring just 2.6. Their opponents have scored a total of 93 goals, compared to 40 for Glacier, which is a goal differential of minus four per game.

Unlike Glacier, the Ice Dogs have done well on the defensive end of the ice. In nine games, they have allowed just 30 goals, which is just more than three goals a game and at the same time they have scored 47 goals, which is nearly four per game.

One player who hasn't had an issue scoring consistently for the Nationals is Tyler McMahon, who leads Glacier with a team-high 14 goals on the season. He also has six assists, which gives him a total of 20 points. Marvin Simmons has also been a solid contributor for the Nationals with five goals and nine assists, while William Bostwick has also pitched in with three goals and seven assists.

Bozeman, on the other hand, doesn't have any individuals who have reached double-digits in terms of goals scored, but has four different players with at least five. Kegan Couture is leading the way for the Ice Dogs with nine, while Elliott Hopkins, Steven Nisbet and Kyle Amundson all have scored five.

The biggest advantage Bozeman will have over Glacier will be in net. The Ice Dogs boast one of the top goaltenders in the Frontier in Stephen Frank, who is 6-2-1 on the season and has goals against average of just 1.94 and a save percentage of 94.2.

The Nationals have rotated goalies all season long, with Mikhail Pahrebets seeing action in eight games, Raymond Smith and Ben Perone getting on the ice in four games and Ryail Purdy in three. All have struggled and all have a save percentage below 90.

The Nationals and Ice Dogs will renew their rivalry tonight at 8.