There's nothing to the math, really. Sixty minutes of intensity yields a victory. A win is worth two points.

So it was as the Bismarck Bobcats thumped Alexandria 5-2 onFriday night at the VFWSports Center.

It's a formula the Bobcats must follow with great consistency for the next five weeks as they battle for a spot in the North American Hockey League playoffs.

Bismarck is locked in a three-way battle with Alexandria and Fargo-Moorhead for the final Central Division spot in the NAHL playoffs. The Bobcats have 38 points and trail Alexandria and F-M by one and two points respectively. The problem is, Fargo-Moorhead has a game in hand and Alexandria has five.

The Bobcats hit the ice flying onFriday, stinging the Blizzard with three goals n the first 10 minutes.

Cody Keefer got Bismarck on the scoreboard just 1:46 into the first period, taking a feed from behind the net and scoring from the slot.

Bang-bang goals by DevinSchmitt and Eric Lund made it 3-0.

Schmitt scored at 8:06, unleashing a low blast from just inside the blue line that deflected off the leg pad of goalie Ryan Leets and slid into the net.

Lund followed suit 84 seconds later, tipping Nate Taurence's blast from the point past Leets at 9:30.

Alexandria's Taylor Vichorek closed out the period with a power play goal at 14:30, but the trend was established.

The Bobcats maintained their intensity the rest of the night, avoiding the nagging break in focus that has become so troublesome.

"It was a pretty consistent 60 minutes. Even if you go up you've still got to battle," said Bobcats wing Kyle Maggard, who improved his team scoring lead with a goal and two assists.

"We're getting down to the end of the season and we're looking at every game like the season is riding on it," Maggard added.

The Bobcats have 10 games remaining, seven at home. They continue a four-game home stand tonight, meeting Alexandria at 7:05. Bismarck plays host to Fargo-Moorhead next weekend.

Maggard scored the only goal of the second period, popping in a rebound on the power play at 6:46.

Bismarck'sWill Aide and Vichorek traded goals in the third period to close out the scoring.

Bobcats coach Byron Pool said his team had one of its best three-period efforts of the season. "That (consistency)has been one of our downfalls all year. …Tonight we were ready to go right from the drop of the puck to the buzzer.

"That's the team I see we can be and I'd like to see it a lot more often. … They came out with the effort I would have hoped to see last weekend."

Bismarck broke a four-game losing streak with Friday's win. They were outscored 19-4 while dropping a game to Alexandria and three to F-M.

Maggard said he harbors no illusions that Bismarck's 5-3 edge in the season's series with Alexandria means an easy time in tonight's rematch.

"It's a whole new game. We're not going to be thinking about this game because every game from here on out is the most important game of the season,"Maggard said.

Alexandria has lost four of its last five starts, and coach Brad Willner said Friday's loss followed a poor performance in a 5-2 loss to Fargo-Moorhead onThursday. He chalked the loss up to a difference in intensity.

"On our end they won the races to the puck. They won the one-on-one battles and they played a more physical game," Willner said.

3 NOTES:Aide suffered an injury to his left leg late in the third and had to be helped off the ice. Pool said the injury didn't appear to be serious but was unsure of Aide's status for tonight's game. … The Bobcats play three of their 10 remaining games on the road. All three away games are at Alexandria. … Bismarck's final 10 games include four with the Blizzard, two with Fargo-Moorhead, two with Southern Minnesota and two with Springfield.

Alexandria 1 0 1 - 2

Bobcats 3 1 1 - 5

First period: 1. B, Cody Keefer (Jeffrey Harris, KevinHarris), 1:46. 2. B, Devin Schmitt (RyanGeary,Kyle Maggard), 8:06. 3. B, Eric Lund (Nate Taurence,Eric Herbel), 9:30, 4. A, Taylor Vichorek (DustinTrail,Noah Nemgar), 14:30 (pp). Penalties: B,Derek Kohles (hooking), 2:42. A, MikaelLickteig (slashing), 3:55. B, JohnClark (hooking), 13:32. A, Luke Nesper (cross checking), 17:17. B, Keefer (hooking), 18:01. A, Joe Hartman (high sticking), 19:01.

Second period:5. B, Maggard (Will Aide, Donnie Harris), 6:46 (pp). Penalties: A, Jerry Freismuth (slashing), 6:12. A, Kyle Clement (cross checking), 7:06. B, Lund (tripping), 13:45. B, Tye Lewis (unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:17.

Third period:6. B, Aide (Maggard, Austin Coldwell), 13:04. 7. A, Vichorek (Nemgar, JonSwavely), 14:07 (pp). Penalties: B, Geary (hooking), :29. B, Maggard (hooking), 6:24. A, Nesper (cross checking), 7:01. A, Lickteig (slashing), 9:00.B, Garrett Kennedy (tripping), 13:31. A, Nemgar (slashing), 16:38. B, Lewis (slashing, fighting major, game misconduct), 19:43. A, Nemgar (slashing major, fighting major, fighting misconduct), 19:43. A, Nemgar (slashing game misconduct), 20:00.

Goalie saves:A - Ryan Leets 8-x-x - 8; Dylan Woodring x-12-10 - 22. B- Jake Kremer 15-15-10 - 40.

Penalties: A- 8 minors, 2 majors, 2 10-minute misconducts, 1 game misconduct. B-9 minors, 1 major, 1 10-minute misconduct.

Records:A 18-21-3,B 17-27-4.