DUBUQUE, IA – Game two of the 2026 Eastern Conference Semifinals was the opposite of game one the night before. After both teams traded goals in the opening stages of the game, the Muskegon Lumberjacks took control of the offense and defeated the Dubuque Fighting Saints 6-2 to tie the best-of-five series at a win a piece.
 
Scoring opened early with a power play goal on the first shot of the game for the Saints. Just 2:04 into the action, Teddy Merrill sent a pass across the slot of the Lumberjacks zone from the far side of the ice to Michael Barron on the near side for a backdoor tap-in to give Dubuque a 1-0 lead.
 
Muskegon followed up with a goal on their first shot of the game, less than two minutes later. Louis Jonerheim (Lund, SWE) carried the puck up the far side of the ice and cut to the top of the crease from the bottom of the circle. Jonerheim was pushed into the Dubuque goalie, leading to a loose puck and an empty net for Anthony Thomas-Maroon (St. Louis, MO) to score his first goal of the postseason.
 
Ten minutes later, the Lumberjacks took a 2-1 lead off a goal from Max Cullen (Moorhead, MN). Adam Belusko (Kosice, SVK) moved the puck to Viktor Norringer (Kungsbacka, SWE), who continued it to Cullen on his way into the offensive zone. Cullen fired a shot that caught the goalie off guard and squeaked to the back of the net.
 
It took just 46 seconds for the Lumberjacks to open the scoring in the second period and take a 3-1 lead. Drew Stewart (Minnetonka, MN) sent a puck from the near side wall to Jonerheim behind the net. Jonerheim popped the puck to the top of the crease, where Ty Bergeron (Flat Rock, MI) tapped it to the back of the net.
 
At the other end of the period, the Jacks used an Auto Owners Power Play to extend the lead to 4-1. Carter Amico (Westbrook, ME) fired a shot from the top of the blue line that was turned aside, but Chuck Blanchard (West Hartford, CT) was ready on the doorstep to corral the rebound and tap it past the goalie's pad for his second goal of the postseason.
 
Dubuque opened the scoring in the third period, 3:44 into the frame, with a pretty goal from Barron finishing a slick passing play with a one-timer on the far side of the ice, but the Lumberjacks had built too much momentum to be caught.
 
Another Auto Owners Insurance Power Play goal came at the 11:45 mark of the third period. This time, Jack Christ (Chaska, MN) ripped a shot over the pad of the goalie for his first goal of the playoffs to make it 5-1. Stewart cleaned up a rebound on the near side of the net for his 2^nd goal of the playoffs, giving the Jacks a 6-2 lead.
 
Carl Axelsson (Danderyd, SWE) (3-1) earned the win on his playoff record with 15 saves on 17 shots against. Vojtech Hambalek (1-1) earned the loss on his playoff record with 6 goals against on 33 shots faced.
 
The Eastern Conference Semifinal series shifts to Muskegon for games three and four on Friday and Saturday next week. Puck drop at Trinity Health Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Friday and 6 p.m. ET on Saturday. Get your tickets at muskegonlumberjacks.com or by calling 231-799-7000.