Ice up 2-0 headed back home

As far as 9-10 hour bus rides go, this one should be a festive one.

Headed into their second round Eastern Conference playoff with the Saskatoon Blades 18 point 'dogs and 0-fer in the regular season the Kootenay Ice beat the Blades 3-2 in overtime to take an unlikely 2-0 series lead back to the Rec Plex for Game 3 Tuesday night.

The Antilla-Fraser-Reinhart line continued their hot-hand, combining for all three goals in the win.

But the real story of this series is clearly, Nathan Lieuwen. Named first star for the second straight game the 19-year-old goaltender stopped a whopping 50 of 52 shots and was stellar all night long.

Max Reinhart opened the scoring on a great drop pass (they're only great when they work) slapshot that beat Steven Stanford 16:23 into the first for a 1-0 Ice lead.

The Blades tied it in the second on a shot from the point that Brent Benson corralled the rebound and just beat an out-stretched Lieuwen in the second.

4:12 into the third a pretty give-n-go with Brayden McNabb gave Matt Fraser his 8th of the playoffs who posted up from a low angle and blasted the go-ahead goal.

On perhaps the toughest bit of luck for the Ice in this series - almost all of the bounces have gone their way, if not the calls, but more on that later - Brayden Schenn's point-shot with Stanford pulled with 1:05 left in the game, deflected twice - off Eakin and then McNabb's skate past Lieuwen to tie it.

In OT the Blades had a ton of chances but Lieuwen put up the wall until late in the first OT Joe Antilla had a head of speed and a partial 2-on-1 down the right wing. He wired his 5th of the playoffs past Stanford, stick-side for the game-winner.

Adam Rossignol checked in in place of Sam Reinhart who couldn't play. Both he and John Neibrandt, used up front as a forward, saw very little ice-time.

Scratched for the Ice were F Drew Czerwonka (shoulder - day-to-day), F Brock Montgomery (Mono - indefinite), F Sam Reinhart (ineligible).

Reinhart finished with a goal and two helpers and now sits seventh in WHL Playoff scoring with 5g, 6a for 11pts. Fraser has 8g and 2a.

Won't tap too much about the zebras but a very close called game went all the Blades way with six straight calls - five, the first one was too many men - as the Ice killed all six. Another telling stat; the high-powered Blades are 0-9 through two games.

Goaltending has clearly been the difference in this series and Lieuwen now sits 3rd in the playoffs with a 2.20 GAA and a .921 save percentage. It was .890 when this series started.

Highlites are up right here. Global has a piece here.

I'll ask the question again and I know most are sick of hearing it but if this doesn't bring 'em Tuesday then I don't know what will.

More later...