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For the first time this playoffs, the Winkler Flyers lost at the Icon Arena and trail in a series for the first time, down 1-0 after a 4-2 loss to the Northern Manitoba Blizzard on Saturday night.
It was a tough start for the Flyers as they found themselves down 1-0 just over six minutes into the hockey game.
Things would get worse as Nik Gudmundson was assessed a 5-minute major for kneeing and a game-misconduct, leaving the Flyers with just 11 forwards for the remained of the game, on top of having to kill off a major penalty.
The Blizzard managed to tag the Winkler penalty kill to go up 2-0.
A big time response from Andrew Morton, who's goal-scoring prowess has come up massive of late for the Flyers, earned them the marker that cut the lead in half, 2-1.
For the 20-year-old Morton, the shorthanded goal was his fourth of the playoffs.
The positive energy didn't make it to the first minute of the second period as the Blizzard scored 40 seconds into the middle frame to restore their two-goal lead, 3-1.
Brady Craik managed to pull the Flyers back to within a single goal as the 19-year-old cashed in on a Winkler power play, making it 3-2 heading into the third.
Try as they might, the Flyers could not find that goal to even things up.
With less than a minute to go in the game, the Blizzard sealed it, making it a 4-2 contest, which is how the game would end.
Leif Ekblad got his second straight start for the Flyers, coming off a series clinching victory in game six of the last series. He made 12 saves in the loss.
Winkler's power play struck once finishing 1-3 while the penalty kill was 3-4, plus a shorthanded goal.
Game two of the series is back at the Icon Arena on Sunday night.