WINNIPEG – Special teams and physicality summed up Friday night's tilt between the Manitoba Bisons and nationally ranked Calgary Dinos at Wayne Fleming Arena. The two sides put the body on each other often, with the hosts not backing down from a bigger Dinos lineup. On the score sheet, Calgary showed why they're the conference's most efficient team on the power play with two goals plus a short-handed marker in a 4-0 win to improve to 13-2. The Bisons fell to 4-6-1. 

The visitors scored the lone goal of the first period on the power play, capitalizing on their first chance with the man advantage just under five minutes into play. Brendan Lee, who had the game-winner in the second contest between the two sides last month, opened the scoring with his third goal of the year on a one-timer. 

It was Calgary's conference-leading 19th power play goal of the season, adding to their Canada West-best efficiency of 28.4 percent. 

The Dinos had a great chance to make it 2-0 just under midway through the period, as Mack Stewart back-handed a rebound into what appeared to be an open net but Bisons goalie Braden Holt made a brilliant save, sprawling from his left to right. 

The visitors added two more special teams tallies in the second, one with the extra attacker, and one short handed. 

Hayden Pakkala made it 2-0 in the power play, tapping in a rebound that went off the pad of Holt just under three minutes into the second, and the Dinos made it 3-0 with just under three minutes left in the middle frame.

With Manitoba on a man advantage, Calgary stole the puck away for a two-on-one. Carter Massier fed the puck cross-crease to Stephen Kirkpatrick, who put the biscuit home for his seventh goal of the year. 

Holt made a number of key stops in the second to keep the game close, including a few higher blocker from tight range. He had 18 saves after two. 

Manitoba's best chance came from Blake Swetlikoff, who blasted a one-timer from the right slot that beat Carl Tetachuk, but sailed just wide. 

The Bisons had a five-on-three five minutes into the third, but Calgary did well to keep them to the outside, maintain the clean sheet. They wrapped up the scoring with 4:26 to go at the end of a Bisons penalty, as Jake Poole danced around the crease and tucked the puck to the short side to make it 4-0. 

Both goalies finished this one with 18 saves each.

The two teams play again tomorrow at 4 p.m. MT

-UC-