MUSKEGON – Desperation can be a great motivator.

The Muskegon Lumberjacks are a team facing the daunting possibility of missing the USHL playoffs for the first time since 2016.

That idea obviously doesn’t sit will with the Jacks, and after weeks of spinning their wheels in the standings are starting to play some of their best hockey in months.

The winning trend continued on Saturday when the Lumberjacks posted a 4-2 victory over the Cedar Rapids Roughriders, one of the teams they are chasing for the final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference.

Ethan Whitcomb led the way for Muskegon with one goal and one assist. Easton Young and Ty Henricks each had two assists.

The victory completed a two-game sweep over the Roughriders and gave the Lumberjacks their first two-win weekend since Nov. 25-26 against Madison.

The Jacks are now seven points behind Cedar Rapids in the race for the sixth and final playoff spot with 10 games remaining. Teams get two points for a victory and one for an overtime loss.

Muskegon can earn a maximum of 20 more points in the standings. Cedar Rapids has nine games left and can earn a maximum of 18 points.

In short, the Jacks will have to keep winning a lot, and hope Cedar Rapids (or one of the teams just ahead of the Roughriders in the standings) loses a lot to make the playoffs.

Part of the challenge going forward will be winning on the road. The Jacks will play their next six games away from Trinity Health Arena, including a matchup on Tuesday in Plymouth, Michigan against Team USA, and two next weekend in Youngstown.

The Jacks’ backs are clearly against the wall, but they are clearly responding to the challenge.

“It’s something you want every weekend, and the character we have on the team is phenomenal,” said Lumberjacks assistant coach CJ Kusch. “Sometimes we don’t always get the consistency or the results that we want, but the character is there, and we’re finally getting the results and it feels awesome.”

“We didn’t deviate from the process. We stuck to our game plan and the results followed.”

Muskegon’s victory was once again sparked by the great play of goalie Raythan Robbins.

Game after game, the Jacks are outshot badly, like they were again on Saturday, 43-25.

And Robbins almost always rises to the occasion, making lots of big stops to give his teammates a chance to get a few goals and win.

Robbins stopped all 12 Cedar Rapids shots in the first period on Saturday, 14 of 16 in the second period and all 15 in the third.

“He is a gamer,” Kusch said about the Jacks goalie. “He is an older guy and the proof has been in the pudding. We are excited that he is here and doing the things that he is doing.”

Muskegon’s Justin Solovey scored the only goal of the first period at the 4:41 mark on a power play.

Nathan McBrayer found the mark at 6:15 of the second period, on another power play, to give Muskegon a 2-0 lead.

Ryan Walsh put Cedar Rapids on the scoreboard with a power play goal at the 11 minute mark of the second period, then Whitcomb scored his 20th goal of the season to give the Jacks a 3-1 edge.

Luke Boss scored the final goal for Muskegon at 15:01 of the second period, then Cedar Rapids’ Dylan Hryckowian finished up the scoring with a goal exactly one minute later.

The third period was scoreless.

Muskegon’s penalty killing was effective once again, keeping Cedar Rapids scoreless on five of six power plays. The Jacks scored twice on four power plays.