For a second straight day, the Minot Minotauros (0-6) started off slow and lost a non-division game to the Wenatchee (Wash.) Wild.
Wenatchee (6-0) scored twice in the game's first five minutes and three times in the first period overall in a 5-2 win Saturday at Maysa Arena.
"Right from the first shift of the day you could see that they wanted it more," Tauros coach Marty Murray said. "I was happy with our effort last night against a very, very good hockey team. Tonight we hoped for the best and when you do that, they take it to you."
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Each team played without four players, as all eight were ejected in Friday's game. The Wild outshot the Tauros 40-17 on Saturday.
Jono Davis scored two goals to increase his NAHL-leading point total to 12. Davis left the game when Minot forward Beau Ricketts checked Davis from behind head-first into the boards. Ricketts received a 10-minute misconduct for the hit. Davis suffered a concussion.
"Opening night in Wenatchee the (26th) of October, that kid will get his," Wild coach Bliss Littler said. "That was as dirty as it comes."
After falling behind 5-0, Minot scored the last two goals of the game. Jake McCann assisted on Connor Langfield's first career NAHL goal seven minutes, 37 seconds into the final period.
Stephen Sherman scored his first goal of the season shorthanded with 4:23 left.
"When we wanna play, we're as good as the top teams in this league," Sherman said. "We just have to put 60 minutes together and we didn't do that tonight and that's why we lost 5-2."
The Tauros host the Fresno Monsters on Friday at 7:35 p.m.