Edina senior forward Dylan Malmquist said his team feels no added pressure when hosting games against the state’s top teams.

“I think it takes the pressure off of us,” the Hornets co-captain said about playing at Braemar Ice Arena, Edina’s home rink. “(The fans) are cheering for us no matter how well or how poorly we do.”

The Hornets seemed to need the fan support as Edina found itself playing from behind against a ranked opponent for the second consecutive game at its home holiday tournament. And for the second time in two nights, the Hornets rallied to win.

Edina exploded for five goals in the third period to erase a one-goal deficit and defeat Elk River/Zimmerman 6-3 in the second round of the Edina Holiday Classic on Friday. 

The Hornets came back from a two-goal deficit to beat Grand Rapids 8-3 on Thursday.

The Elks led 2-1 at the start of the third period, but Malmquist and junior forward Garrett Wait sparked the Hornets' comeback. Each had a goal and four assists in the final 17 minutes.  

Malmquist also had a second-period goal and now leads the team with 10. The Notre Dame commit is second on team with 25 points. Wait finished the game with five assists, giving him team-highs in assists (20) and points (27). 

Malmquist said he has no idea why slow starts have plagued Edina, ranked No. 2 in the Class 2A coaches poll.

“I think we need to get more pumped up, maybe get a quicker warm-up (before the game),” he said.

Malmquist isn’t the only one who cannot explain the team’s sluggish start in consecutive games. 

“I couldn’t tell you,” Edina coach Curt Giles said. “Hopefully, we’ll get it figured out pretty quick.”

No one seems to have an answer for the sudden emergence of Hornets’ power-play unit, which went 3-for-3 on opportunities against No. 6-2A Elk River/Zimmerman and was 2-for-4 against No. 10-2A Grand Rapids.

The Hornets scored just twice in 27 power-play chances prior to the Holiday Classic. 

“So far this year we haven’t worked on (the power play) once,” Wait said with a chuckle. 

Giles may not have an answer for why Edina’s power play took so long to emerge, but he can explain why the Hornets are finding success with a man advantage. It’s a result of the skilled players who make up the power-play units, Giles said.

“They move the puck extremely well,” he added. “We’re fortunate that we have kids who can handle the puck.”

Senior forward Dylan Malmquist scored two goals and added four assists, and junior forward Garrett Wait scored a goal and had five assists as Edina exploded for five third-period goals to defeat Elk River/Zimmerman 6-3 Friday night in the second round of the Edina Holiday Classic at Braemar Ice Arena.

Malmquist and Wait did most of their damage on the power play, with each having a hand in helping the Hornets convert on all three opportunities.

Malmquist’s second goal, however, came with Edina at even strength and sent the home crowd into a frenzy. Malmquist collected a pass from Wait and patiently held onto the puck before flipping it over Elk River/Zimmernman sophomore goaltender Ben Meyers. 

Senior forward Parker Mismash scored a goal and had an assist for the Hornets (7-1-1), ranked No. 2 in the Class 2A coaches poll. Senior defensemen Sam Fuss and Ben Foley each notched a goal, while senior goalie Kobi Boe stopped 17 shots.

Meyers made 23 saves, while sophomore forward Jax Murray, junior forward Alex Schwab and senior forward Reggie Lutz finished with one goal apiece for the No. 6-2A Elks (7-3-0).

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