Streak broken in the Bridge

The Kootenay Ice halted their three-game slide Friday night in Lethbridge in a 6-3 decsision over the Canes. The last half of the home-and-home goes Saturday night at the Rec Plex.

Some thoughts....

D Mike Simpson, the club's 6th round pick (123rd overall) in 2009 made his WHL debut tonight, called up from the PIJHL's Port Moody Panthers, in place of D Luke Paulsen, who left the game Wednesday as the concussion symptoms returned.

In a game of massive swings in offence the Ice took a 2-0 lead before giving it right back to the Hurricanes and go down 3-2 in the third period and staring at losing four straight and falling to fifth in the conference if they lose. A four goal outburst in the third powered the Ice to the, whew, win. Multiple point nights for Brayden McNabb with a goal and two assist, Reinhart with three helpers and a big night from Hayden Rintoul with his first of the season (yes, first) and the game-winner to rebound from a horrible outing at home against the Wheat Kings in the 5-4 loss Wednesday.

G Nathan Lieuwen got the start and the win, stopping 28 of 31 shots. Call-up Mackenzie Skapski was the back-up as Brett Teskey got the night, and likely the weekend, off. Skapski will start tommorrow at home. A correction to an earler blog note on Lieuwen, his Family Faith night will go following the Feb 5 home game against the Vancouver Giants. Again, lots of cudos to the 19-year-old in organizing the event.

Matt Coxford has a piece at the Townsman here. Of note is the schedule. The last 15 games had the club go 8-7 and play Spokane, Medicine Hat and Red Deer nine times, prior to tonight. Starting Wednesday against the Wheat Kings the Ice play(ed) 8 of their next 9 games against teams with sub-500 records including two games next weekend against the WHL-worst Calgary Hitmen. Given the standings - and it looks to be a two-horse race for the Eastern Conference Crown at this point with the Blades and the Rebels opening up an 8 point lead (11 for the Blades) while the Ice are now in a dogfight with the Tigers and Warriors for third-fifth - those points are key. Kootenay, at 31-16-1-2, sit third, one point up on the Hat and Moose Jaw. With 22 games to play there's still lots to be decided but a fifth-place finish means no home-ice and a first round opponent with likely a .650 record or better. That come-back tonight, yes, it was against the Canes, but could be a key turning point in the recent slide.

Here's something to chew on, if Skapski, who was stellar at the U-17 tourny over Christmas, turns in a strong outing over the Hurricanes at home tomorrow, how much pressure will Brett Teskey - who is in the stands this weekend - feel to step up his level of play? Wednesday wasn't his best outing and in this environment of razor thin standings, points against the lower teams is an absolute must.

F Matt Fraser should return Tuesday against the Hitmen while Boomer, who is chomping at the bit to get back in, won't return for at least a week or two. D-men Luke Paulsen is still a week or two away with concussion symptoms and Joe Leach is recovering from surgery to remove bone chips in his ankle.

Just continuing a thought on the call-ups and the sheer amount of rookies that could be in the line-up next season....

In goal Skapski will in all likelihood get a spot which will mean that Lieuwen isn't kept as a 20-year-old or Teskey is the odd-man out.

On D rookie Tanner Faith and Simpson will get a long look for spots vacated by McNabb (likely to turn pro and not return as a 20) but there could be only one spot available if the club keeps Rintoul and Martin on the backend, which with a younger club - as Kootenay is likely to be next season - an older blueline is helpful.

Up front they'll lose Eakin, King, Boomer, Fraser and likely one of either Antilla or Ismond or both to 20-year-old numbers. Of the prospects available to move into spots - Cable, Sam Reinhart, Luke Philp, Sam Johnson - who is the same age as Cable -and Jaedon Descheneau (24th and 25th in scoring in the Alberta Major Midget League - Philp is second) all could gain a roster spot. That's possibly eight new faces next season and four 16-year-olds.

Okay, okay, enough looking to future as it's now for a club trying to make a push for some hardware but with all the new faces being spotted into the line-up this season it's always fun to look ahead.

NOTE - As pointed out by a poster, both D Jeff Hubic and F Jared Iron - 7th in Sask Midget league scoring - will push for a spot also.