Ryan Ladika/MDN Jack Westlund (center) takes a shot from the blue line during the first period of Minot's Friday night Game 4 against the Wings.

Keenan Rancier was Thursday’s hero. On Friday night, Blaine Warnert stole the show.

With his club facing elimination for the second consecutive night, Warnert potted three goals in the third period to lead the never-say-die Minot Minotauros over the Aberdeen Wings 4-2 at Maysa Arena, no overtime necessary.

Bill Murray must have been in the house hiding somewhere as well, because the resemblance to Thursday night’s game was uncanny. Both goaltenders produced perfect first periods, Aberdeen took the lead in the second, and Minot stormed back in the third.

Minot even saw a scoring chance just seconds into the final frame not unlike the night before. The key difference? The Minotauros’ ability to finish off a dangerous team in regulation.

“It was great to even get the one goal, because they’re just so deadly,” head coach Shane Wagner said. “They scored right there at the end and that team can create offense off a whim, but just knowing that if it did go to overtime, it’s going to be one mistake that’s going to be costly. I’m just really happy for the guys. Just gritty, those guys battled hard.”

With his team trailing 1-0 almost halfway through the third period, Damon Zimmer won a faceoff in the right circle. The puck trickled a few inches to Jack Westlund’s stick, who flicked a quick pass behind him to Warnert.

The forward saw his chance and took it, wristing the puck from the middle of the slot past Sibell before being semi-tackled to the ice by Wings skater Trevor Russell as continuation of his momentum. Warnert leapt to his feet with glee and embraced his teammates, having tied the game at one goal apiece, as well as breathing new life into the Minot offensive unit.

Minot took its first lead of the contest, once again 2-1, with four minutes and 37 seconds remaining. While on the power play, Kyle Kukkonen took the zone and found his teammate Jay Buchholz along the left boards.

Buchholz provided a waiting Robert Kincaid with the puck at the top of the slot, who unleashed a thunderous slapshot. The shot was blocked initially by Sibell, but as was his Achilles’ heel Thursday, a rebound provided Warnert a chance in the crease.

In the midst of a scrum, Warnert chipped the puck across the red line for his second goal of the game and fourth of the postseason.

“It’s just compete-factor for me,” Wagner said of Warnert’s offensive production in the postseason. “He basically said, ‘I’m good to go,’ and I put him out there and he went out and scored right then and there, and then he went again and again. He competes hard and he’s a great kid. I can’t be any prouder of him.”

Warnert’s third score materialized off a two-on-one odd-man rush entering the Aberdeen zone. Kukkonen entered with the puck along the right boards and Warnert the left, with only one Wings skater, Russell, to beat.

The Wings’ defenseman went full spread-eagle on his stomach in effort to prevent a cross-ice pass to Warnert, but Kukkonen was expecting such a tactic. He calmly dangled the puck around the prone body of Russell and proceeded to throw it on net. Sibell once again made the save, and once again failed to corral the puck. Warnert was there and chipped it home for his third of the game.

The forward went down to a knee and celebrated with dual fist-pumps as his teammates mobbed him along the boards with hats raining down from the stands.

“I was just trying to take my chances, because I knew that our season could potentially be over. I don’t know, I just love being in those opportunities where you got to make a play to win a game,” Warnert said. “I feel really confident in myself doing that, and it’s just a lot of fun when you score those goals.”

Brett Roloson added an empty net score with 68 seconds left to seal the emotional come-from-behind victory for the Minotauros.

Not to be lost in the late offensive heroics was another outstanding performance between the pipes for Rancier. The netminder, who has only gotten stingier in the playoffs with a .943 save percentage against a mark of .911 during the regular season, made 38 more saves on 40 total shots on the heels of his record-breaking performance Thursday night.

“He slows the game down. When they had their pushes, they’re deadly,” Wagner said. “He doesn’t falter. After stopping 69 shots last night, that’s Keenan. He’s going to be an elite goalie, he’s going to be a high-end guy, and we’re lucky to have him.”

Minot’s next task will be to accomplish what it has been able to do just once all season: pull out a victory at the Odde Ice Center in Aberdeen, South Dakota Sunday evening at 7:15 p.m. The team’s only road win of the season against the Wings came back on March 17 behind, you guessed it, 41 saves from Rancier. Logan Anderson scored twice in a 2-1 Minotauros victory.

What will it take to accomplish the feat once more and complete an improbable and dramatic comeback?

“We just have to believe in ourselves here and bear down on our chances and finish a game for once,” Wagner said. “Not worry about refs or anything else, just play our 60 minutes.”