They're not linemates, but Chad Demers and Jimmy Mullin are sure making it look like they've been playing together all season.
Demers and Mullin each scored three points with the Fargo Force beating the Youngstown Phantoms 5-2 on Thursday in front of a crowd of 3,757 fans at Scheels Arena.
The win puts the Force at 4-3 on the season, which is good enough for first place in the Western Conference.
The loss drops Youngstown to 4-3.
"Jimmy's just a good guy to play with and we're not on the same line, but we get stuck out there together sometimes," Demers said. "There are times where if we are on a four-on-four, we just use our creativity and try to make something happen."
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Mullin was behind the net when he fed a pass to first-year forward Tyler Maugeri, who scored less than two minutes into the game for a 1-0 lead. Youngstown tied the game about 11 minutes later on a goal from J.T. Stenglien. Maugeri later picked up an assist on Garrett Allen's goal in the third. Maugeri's night was good. Demers' and Mullin's was even better.
The Force were working the puck on the power play when Demers fed Mullin, who scored the go-ahead goal for a 2-1 lead with 2:05 left.
With 23 seconds left, Demers scored what turned out to be the winning goal.
Youngstown turned the puck over in its own end and Demers took an errant pass, snapped a wrist shot and gave Fargo a 3-1 lead to close out the period.
The Phantoms made up for it in the second when they capitalized on a Fargo turnover, cutting the lead to
3-2 on a Jiri Sekac goal.
Once again, that's when Demers and Mullin came back to end any chances of a rally.
Mullin skated around the defense and slid the puck to Demers who scored on an open net with 11 seconds left in the second.
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It might not have been quite like the goal Mullin set up for Demers with 3.9 seconds left in a 3-2 win last week, but the duo just keeps proving they work well together.
Especially at the end of periods.
"I expect it from them," said Force coach Jason Herter about Demers and Mullin. "They're good players and they should be creating opportunities. Those are the kind of kids you don't need to give a pat on the back to when they're performing."
The compliments came later after the game.
With Fargo-Youngstown being the only United States Hockey League game on Thursday, nearly 30 college and NHL scouts took in the game.
About half of them were waiting outside the locker room waiting to talk to players.
Mullin, who has already committed to Miami (Ohio) University, met with a scout from the Tampa Lightning, the team that drafted him in the third round in 2009.
"They just check in to see how I'm developing and seeing how I play," Mullin said. "They're expecting good things so that's what I am going to try to do."
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Demers, who has not committed to a school, said he's mulling his options.
Those options might have expanded following his latest performance.
Getting to play college hockey is a priority for Demers, a Grafton, N.D. native. He said there have been a few schools that have shown interest.
If Demers keeps having three-point nights, that interest could turn into something more.
"It's kind of an incentive to play well," Demers said about the scouts. "But winning games, that's also an incentive too."
FIRST PERIOD: 1. F, Maugeri (Mullin) 1:29. 2. Y, Stenglein (Berkle, Mayfield) 12:36. 3. F, Mullin (Demers, Yevenko), 1407 (shorthanded). 4. F, Demers 19:40
SECOND PERIOD: 5. Y, Smith (Belonger) 10:39
THIRD PERIOD: 6. F, Allen (Maugeri, Folin) 18:15
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SAVES: F, Massa 3-5-3-12. Y, O'Connor 7-11-12-30.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Ryan S. Clark at (701) 241-5548
