MUSKEGON – The Muskegon Lumberjacks managed to dodge the first bullet on Saturday night, but  couldn’t avoid the second.

The Jacks played the visiting Madison Capitols to a 3-3 tie through regulation, which led to a five-minute overtime period.

Madison appeared to score the winning goal with 1:10 remaining in OT, but after a lengthy replay review, it was determined that it was not a goal, giving the Lumberjacks new life.

Unfortunately they did not take advantage. The scoreless overtime led to an OT shootout, Madison had a 2-0 advantage in goals and handed the Jacks a tough 4-3 loss at Muskegon’s Trinity Health Arena.

The Lumberjacks are now 3-3-0 on the season, after splitting two games with the Capitols over the weekend. They received a point in the standings for playing to a tie in regulation on Saturday.

They will return to action next weekend with a pair of games in Chicago.

“If you look at the logistical side of it, it’s three out of four points (on the weekend),” said Lumberjacks head coach Colten St. Clair. “The game was a good learning moment for the team, and it’s hard to win two games in a row in this league.”

It started out as a promising night for the Lumberjacks, who scored one goal in each period and took the lead each time.

It looked like they were headed for a weekend sweep and a third straight victory

But every time the Jacks took the lead, the Capitols answered, leading to overtime and then the fateful shootout.

“It seems to be an issue for us,” St. Clair said about giving up leads. “We just need to get our mind right and start looking at Chicago.”

The loss not only ended the Lumberjacks’ two-game winning streak, but also put a damper on another impressive offensive performance by 16-year-old rookie forward Zaac Charbonneau.

Charbonneau scored two goals in the game, and now has an impressive total of six in just six games this season.

“He kind of has a killer instinct in him,” St. Clair said about Charbonneau. “He takes a penalty and gets out of the box and scores. Special players can do that.”

Charbonneau got things started on Saturday, putting in his own rebound near the right goal post 8:30 into the first period, while the Lumberjacks enjoyed a two-man power play advantage.

The Capitols tied the game 1-1 at the 18:51 mark with a goal from Logan Lutner.

The Lumberjacks took a 2-1 lead 2:53 into the second period when Strider Carhart snared a puck that bounced off the boards, then spun around and snapped a shot past Madison goaltender Elliot Lennon.

Madison responded 57 seconds later with Lutner’s second goal to tie the game at 2-2.

The Lumberjacks took their third one-goal lead 5:41 into the third period when Charbonneau skated past a Madison defender and scored on a breakaway with a backhand shot.

The Capitols got even again, however, just over a minute later, with a goal from Landon McSwain.

The Jacks only managed two shots on goal in the third period.

The overtime period was scoreless, due to the decision to disallow the Madison goal.

The shootout, which involves three shooters from each team going one-on-one with the opposing goalie, did not go Muskegon’s way.

Madison’s Bryce Wiitala and Bode McConnell found the net, while three Lumberjacks failed, ending the contest.

Muskegon goalie Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz deserved a better fate after making a lot of nice saves throughout the evening. The Jacks were outshot 37-29.