ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. -- For two periods, Benilde-St. Margaret's stayed with the state's top-ranked teams, and spent the first 29 minutes of the game in a scoreless tie with Eden Prairie.

But the Eagles scored just seven seconds into the final period and that opened the flood gates, leading to a seven-goal explosion as Eden Prairie cruised to an 8-1 win.

Despite being outshot 19-5 through two periods, including being held without a shot in the second period until its closing seconds, the Red Knights found themselves trailing just 1-0 when the leading candidate for this year's Mr. Hockey Award, Casey Mittelstadt, scored on the power play with four minutes, 37 seconds to play before the second intermission.

Despite three power-play chances in the second period, the Eagles couldn't open more than a one-goal lead until the final period, which started with the visitors winning the opening faceoff, getting the puck into the BSM zone and Jarod Bloackowiak finding the back of the net just seven seconds into the stanza.

After needing 19 shots to score one goal in two periods, the Eagles scored seven goals on 13 shots in the game's final 17 minutes.

BSM avoided being shut out when it scored on its fourth power-play chance of the game as Nick Sims took a pass across the top of the Eagles' zone from Bronson McLeod and his shot from the left point got past EP goalie Nick Wiencek.

The Red Knights now head into the final week of the regular season, beginning a three-game slate with Tuesday's 7 p.m. game versus St. Thomas at St. Thomas Arena in Mendota Heights.