Kootenay Last in the Eastern Conference is on a 6 game winning streak.
First Period
Kootenay had the Tigers on their heels for the first 15 minutes of the period. 75% of the play was in the Tigers end. They would recover the puck then turn it over right away with lots of pressure from Kootenay.
Kootenay scored first after a Tiger crashed into the Kootenay goal, and two others went behind the net. It gave Kootenay a 4 on 2, which they turned into a 3 on 2. Sam Reinhart popped a shot about a foot and a half off the ice blocker side on Lanigan from the top of the circle. 1-0 Kootenay
Cole Sanford changed directions and attempted to go around a Kootenay defender who threw his arms up with a high bodycheck away from the puck. The ref gave Sanford an interference penalty. I didn't think it was a penalty.
On the powerplay the puck skittered towards the Tigers net after a few players clashed their sticks together for the puck. Lanigan would reach out to grab it, but Kootenay's Luke Philp would reach and just get the tip of his stick on it to poke it past Lanigan's pad. 2-0 Kootenay
The Tigers would start to get some pressure. Koules hit the crossbar, Shinkaruk and Pearce missed half open empty nets.
Kootenay would come back the other way and Joey Leach would put a wrist shot toward the goal but it would get deflected to the side of the net. Sam Reinhart was right their to put a shot on the half empty net. 3-0 Kootenay
The Tigers finally got on the board with a lucky shot. Logan McVeigh would attempt a pass from behind the goal-line and the puck would bounce in off a Kootenay Defender. 3-1 Kootenay
The Tigers were outshot 11-7. The Tigers didn't play horrible but they kept turning the puck over just inside their blueline, and it resulted in Kootenay getting some bounces.
2nd Period
Crazy Period of hockey
The Tigers would score 3 times in 4 minutes to take a 4-3 lead early in the second.
Boston Leier would strip Jagger Dirk of the puck near center and would walk in alone. Mackenzie Slapski would make a move to the wrong side of the net just as Boston Leier fired a low blocker side shot on net. 3-2 Kootenay
22 seconds later on the same shift Boston Leier would dig out a puck that Mackenzie Slapski misplayed behind the net. Leier passed it out front to Elgin Pearce who only had a defenceman blocking the front of the net. 3-3 TIE
2.5 minutes later Elgin would strike again. Jake Doty flattened an Ice DMAN in the corner and in the opposite corner Trevor Cox would flutter a half blocked back-hand pass in front of the net. Pearce would take a whack with the puck a few inches off the ice and ended Slapski's night with a goal.
4-3 Tigers
Kootenay would build some momentum and pressure after a dumb penalty by Tyler Lewington hitting a guy from behind away from the puck.
On the powerplay Sam Reinhart fed a pass cross the blueline to Joey Leach. Leach one-timed a low shot on net and Brock Montgomery would tip it passed Lanigan 4-4 TIE
Zach Hodder would blow a tire at the blueline and Kootenay would get a 2 on 1. Levi Cable would hesitate with the puck and somehow slid it underneath the Tigers defenceman who had sprawled out to block the pass. Brock Montgomery would squeak a shot past Lanigan's shoulder. 5-4 Kootenay
A really high paced game. The Tigers started out the period on fire, but late in the period Kootenay got their momentum back.
Tigers outshot Kootenay 17-13. Two Period total of 24 shots apiece.
3rd Period
The Tigers would tie up the game on the powerplay off another nice bounce. Curtis Valk went to pass the puck cross the ice and it hit a Kootenay defender and went into the net. 5-5 TIE
Tyler Lewington could get called for hooking on a scramble down low. Hi stick was held by one hand horizontally but right into the Kootenay players mid-section. The refs looks for these typ of infractions and Lewington heads to the box.
Shorthanded newcomer Zach Hodder looses his stick and it allows Brock Montgomery room to power past him. Montgomery would drive to the net and put the puck passed Lanigan along the ice completing his hat-trick 6-5 Kootenay
The Tigers would get a lot of pressure with the goalie pulled, but Kootenay would get a breakaway and Sam Reinhart would also complete a hat-trick. 7-5 Kootenay
Thoughts
Kootenay doesn't look like a last place team. Tyler Lewington took a couple Ill-timed penalties which completely swung the momentum after Kootenay scored on both. Zach Hodder also blew a tire, and lost his stick and both plays resulted in Kootenay Goals. Hunter Shinkaruk and Curtis Valk were very quiet, but the Tigers got a lot of production from the second and third lines.
4 comments:
Pierce got the loudest cheer from the crown when he received the second star. The fans certainly showed their appreciation for the time he spent with the Ice.
Sad game. Too many bus legs. This hurt the team travelling from Med Hat to Saskatoon on January 1st game and another long bus trip on game day. Team didn't start playing till mid way through the game. I think the team has lost some confidence playing in front of the goalies. Some pretty simple plays going in as goals. Lanigan was stellar when he first came over but has shown some weaknesses and Marek is 50/50. Goalies have some good and some bad games, but right now some outstanding games would help. This game was not lost due to a lack of scoring. With a high scoring game like this, it falls on the shoulders of a lack of defence --- and not just defencemen but defensive play from forwards, defence and goalies.
No offence but the ICE are no longer last in the conference and have a good chance of making the playoffs now. They are tied with the Warriors in points but move ahead as they've played fewer games. The Wheaties are last. Just sayin
They were last prior to the game.
That's the thing about the Eastern Conference this year. Last year a .500 team had no chance of the playoffs this year they still have a shot at homeice in round1.
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