The roles are reversed this season.

The Minotauros (28-26-6) face off against the Central Division champion Wings (39-16-5) in the first round of the 2018 playoffs this weekend. The best-of-five series starts in Aberdeen on Friday and Saturday before coming to Maysa Arena next week — Game 3 on April 20 and the if necessary Game 4 on April 21. If needed Game 5 would be played in Aberdeen on April 23.

Since March, the Minotauros went 8-5-0 to hold off the Bismarck Bobcats and Brookings Blizzard to claim the fourth and final playoff spot in the Central Division.

“We have been playing playoff hockey for five weeks, so I think that could be an advantage for us,” Minotauros coach and General Manager Marty Murray said. “We are 100 percent healthy and I think our guys are feeling pretty good about our game.”

Alex Eisen/MDN Tauros defenseman Jake Rosenbaum (7) levels Wings forward Joey Molenaar (21) with a body check Friday in Minot.

It’s an optimistic assessment for what was a “roller coaster” regular season.

“There were a lot of ups-and-downs,” Murray said. “We knew coming into the season with a lot of new faces and a lot of younger guys that it wasn’t going to happen overnight. Last year, we had a veteran team and guys that had been in our league. So, it took a little time for us to get in a groove (this year). But, I think we have found it here at the right time.”

In an unusual circumstance, the Minotauros and Wings played each other to close out the regular season at Maysa Arena. Aberdeen took the first game on Friday, 2-1, but Minot fought back to take the regular season finale by the same score, 2-1, in overtime.

The Wings won the first five games of the season series between the two teams. Minot recovered to go 4-2-1 against Aberdeen in the second half of the season.

“The season series is in favor of them, but we have played them real tough this year,” Murray said. “I think both teams recognize it’s going to be a tough series.”

While focusing on the present and the task at hand, the past still lingers a little bit.

“It’s obviously a chip on our shoulder that they sent us home last year,” Tauros forward Grant Loven said. “So, we are hoping to return the favor this year.”

Murray added: “For the guys that were here last year, that stung and it still stings. So, this is an opportunity for us.”

Loven, playing his first season in Minot, didn’t experience the first-round collapse last season, but it’s something all the players can draw motivation from. Nobody wants another early postseason exit, which is something the Minotauros have become far too accustomed to with four first round bow outs in the last five seasons.

Perhaps being the underdogs with the higher seed can be seen as a welcomed change.

“The pressure is on them right now,” Minotauros leading scorer Miroslav Mucha said. “We had the pressure last year. If we can get one of the games down there, then win both of them here. That’s the plan.”

Mucha, 30 goals and 25 assists, is one of four Minotauros with 10 or more goals this season: Loven (13 goals, 35 assists), Austin Dollimer (11, 34) and captain Alex Adams (13, 20).

Assistant captains Michael Talbot (9 goals, 19 assists) and Nolan Sawchuk (2, 28) have provided leadership and reliability. On the blue line with Sawchuk, Minot native Colby Enns leads the team with a positive 19 plus/minus.

“As for a difference maker, I look at the (Ondrej) Pavel-(Fritz) Belisle-(Keenan) Lund line. It was been really good the last five weeks of the season. I think they could be a real wild card in this series, not only for shutting down their opposing line they are playing against but also frustrating them and making them play in their own end.”

Between the pipes, Samu Lonkila had a productive return from illness by saving 65 shots and allowing just three goals in the two games against Aberdeen over the weekend. Lonkila has a 2.41 goals against average and a 92.0 save percentage on the season.

Slowing down the Wings’ offense will be a challenge to say the least. Aberdeen finished the regular season with a plus-54 goal difference and led the Central Division with 194 goals. Minot, for comparison, scored the fewest goals in the division (161) and ended with a minus-7 goal difference.

“They have a lot of guys that can put the puck in the net,” Murray said. “Also, stingy defensively, so it’s up to us to execute some plays. This is the time of the year you lean on your veteran guys. Hopefully, they are on top of their game.”

Nine Aberdeen skaters scored 14 or more goals in the regular season. The Wings’ Top 3 point getters are all over 50 points each: Nathan Burke (32 goals, 24 assists), Joe Strada (15, 38) and Jonathan Bendorf (20, 32).

Matt Vernon, 2.01 goals against and 91.2 save percentage, and Gabe Vinal, 2.26 goals against and 91.5 save percentage, have shared time in net for Aberdeen.

“I think if we get some timely goal scoring, then that is going to put us over the top,” Murray said. “Executing the plays and burying our opportunities is going to be the difference in the series.”

Both Game 1 (Friday) and Game 2 (Saturday) in Aberdeen at the Odde Ice Center start at 7:15 p.m.

Alex Eisen covers Minot High School, Minot State athletics and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.