Series: 3-2 Brandon
Game 1: Brandon 2 Tigers 7
Game 2: Brandon 3 Tigers 7
Game 3: Tigers 3 Brandon 5
Game 4: Tigers 2 Brandon 5
Game 5: Brandon 5 Tigers 2
Game 6: April 1st
Game 7: April 3rd (If Needed)
Links
WHL GameSheet
Wheaties push Tigers to the brink - MH News
Tigers De-Railed by Wheat Kings - Tigershockey.com
Tigers allow five straight goals, fall to What Kings in Game 5 - Chat News
Pre-Game Notes
Jordan Hollet in the Net
Linus Nassen - GameTime decision and Drew in Tonight.
Tiger Scratches
Mason Shaw - Getting fit with a brace. The Tigers are taking it day by day, but it sounds like he may not make it in time for round 1.
Elijah Brown - Injured
Dylan Macpherson -Likely out for playoffs
Trevor Longo - Out for a while
James Hamblin - Broken wrist, out for playoffs
Brandon Scratches
Logan Thompson -Injury
Baron Thompson - Healthy
Jonny Hooker - Injury
Ty Ettinger - Healthy
First Period
The Tigers would get an unlucky break. A big blast from David Quenneville smacked the goaltender up high. During the save Myskiw's blocker & catcher came up high and popped lose his mask. The mask would fall off as he dropped to his knees moments before Jaeger white tapped the rebound in the net. The Refs called it no goal...bad break.The mask stays on it's probably a good goal.
Ty Lewis from Brandon would come close to scoring ringing iron. 30 seconds later the Tigers would score first. Quenneville fed a very nice pass over to Ryan Chyzowski who fired the puck top shelf glove side. 1-0 Tigers
Notes:
Pretty even period. Prime scoring chances were close. The refs are letting them play but also calling coincidental penalties and taking both players out. Quenneville has thrown 3 big hits. He looks like a man on a mission.
Second Period
Tigers would add to their lead on a fast break 30 seconds into the period. Preziuso with some nice work skating out of his zone let go a pass out into the slot. Jevne neatly tied up his man which left Chyzowski open at the side of the net. Chyzowski performed a quick stickhandle and fired the puck over Myskiw's arm. 2-0 Tigers
The Tigers would get into some penalty trouble as Cole Clayton would get called for a 4-minute slew-footing penalty and Brandon's Zach Wytinck would take a 2-minute holding penalty, bear hugging Mark Rassell off a partial breakaway.
After Brandon's' portion of the penalty expired, the Tigers would get a little bit too aggressive with only a couple seconds left in the penalty kill. Both defencemen would get caught in the corner throwing hits and that left an opening in the middle of the ice for Brandon. Stelio Mattheos would walk out from the corner and attempt a wraparound shot. The puck would escape his grasp and Ty Lewis was charging in from the point managed to beat an outstretched Hollet with a backhand shot. 2-1 Tigers.
Both teams would trade momentum. The Tigers managed to get a few very high-quality chances, including David Quenneville ripping one off the crossbar. Brandon, in turn, would respond with a couple chances off a power play and some sustained momentum late in the period.
With 3 minutes to go in the third Wheat King defenceman, Schael Higson would rip a point shot and Luka Burzan would deflect the puck right in front of Hollett. 2-2 TIE
Notes:
We are seeing some old time hockey here. Both teams are hitting, and hitting hard any chance they can. David Quenneville must have eaten a few cans of spinach as he's thrown 7-8 big time hits through 2 periods of play. One of the most exciting periods of hockey all year, both teams are going all out. The Tigers had control early, Brandon with more control late.
Third Period
Brandon continued their momentum right from the get-go. The Tigers would juggle their lines, but in this case , it would hurt them. Cole Clayton pinched and no Tiger forward recognized this and turned back. The result was that Brandon had an odd-man rush the other way. Connor Gutenberg would rip a shot top shelf and Brandon would take their first lead of the hockey game. 3-2 Brandon
The Tigers would start to unravel a bit. Veteran David Quenneville who was having such a good game, took a frustrating penalty, giving 3 straight un-necessary cross-checks to Wheat King Schael Higson.
On the powerplay ,Schael Higson would take a shot from the point and Hollett lost track of it. Linden McCorrister was able to squeak past Kristians Rubins and poke the puck in for a 2 goal lead.
4-2 Brandon
Tigers would be unable to score with the goalie pulled and Stelio Mattheos would would find an empty-netter. Final Score 5-2 Brandon
Thoughts
Very exciting game. I thought up until Clayton took a slew-footing penalty in the second the Tigers were in the game and had the advantage. After that small period of hockey where Rassell was hauled down on a partial breakaway, and Brandon scored on their 4-minute powerplay, they took the game over and were clearly the better team from that point onwards. In the third period, it seemed every other rush was an odd-man rush for Brandon.
A heartbreaker. The away team won for the first time in the series. The Tigers face a tough task of needing 2 straight victories to escape the first round of the playoffs.
Next Up
Game 6 Sunday, April 1st in Dauphin
6 comments:
Did not get to watch the game given my untimely night shifts but I just can not see how the tigers can pull through with a first line centre who is probably not WHL material. Nothing personal against White at all, he gives it his all. But at his age he should not be a 3/4th line centre. You would expect him to be higher up in the line up. He is stepping up as much as he can but just can not provide enough talent on the first line. This compounded with the fact that the Tigers are so depleted it is just a tough tough challenge. I love the team and think it we had even a couple guys back we would have a chance but as it stands now it is tough slugging to get a win.
I have enjoyed the more physical play of the Tigers. Clayton has stepped up his physical presence as has Robins....I don't think I've even seen Quenneville throw so many good hits as last night. BUT I think the Tigers are drifting away from their style of play trying to match Brandon's physicality and that's getting reflected in the score. Heavy hockey is exhausting and in the depleted line up the Tigers are playing with, you can visibly see the players slowing down by the third period. When they are fresh in the first, the primary brandon handed down. I really want to see game 7, I hope the boys find a way to play their game and pull out a win tomorrow!
Certainly can't be disappointed with the effort, the boys laid it all on the line. Some guys playing some big minutes with the injured bodies. Rubins and Quennville must have played 40 minutes last night, the chyzowski line played real well but looked tired in the third period. Thought it was a good move putting Haden with Rassell and Ostir in the third as it looked to me that White was shying away from contact and turning the puck over. Series is pretty much going as I expected in that the longer it went the advantage would go to Brandon due to the depth of the two rosters. Hoping the boys can dig deep and win Sunday but won't be to terribly disappointed in the outcome if they lose.
With their backs against the wall I hope they realize they don't have a lot of depth scoring, so tonight they should just stack 1 line.
Rassell chyzowski jevne.
In my opinion give your best 3 forwards the chance to thrive with each other.
Unless brown is in the lineup then maybe he gets the chance on the first line again.
Just throwing ideas out there.
Had lots of shots but end of the day you can't screw up in your own end as many times as we did.
Last time I'll mention it and we can move on to next year but Quennevile might have JT played his worst 6 games as a tiger. Costed them tonight again with mistakes in his own end.
Rassell carried the team and boy did he have a heck of year.
I hope Clouston is gone by lunch time tomorrow.
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