Okay, pick your cliche...
Perfect road game... The best players were the best players... We bent but didn't break.
The Kootenay Ice scored early on a wrist shot by Matt Fraser, went 2-5 on the power play and goaltender Nathan Lieuwen stopped 35 of 36 shots as the Kootenay Ice shocked the Saskatoon Blades at home - where they'd lost only three games in 38 this season - and took a 1-0 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semi-Final.
Hey, a big kudos to the Blades Website guys or gals. The highlites are up right here.
Some thoughts...
This was probably the best defensive outing I've seen the Ice play all season long. Very few odd-man rushes, very few neutral zone giveaways or giveaways of any kind and very few quality chances by the Blades.
Yeah, there were chances that the Blades coulda, shoulda and woulda but a gaping wide net was missed, hit the post, fanned or just plained stopped by Lieuwen, who got first star honours.
Matt Fraser got two goals to push his post-season total to seven, tying him for the WHL lead with Linden Vey - whose Tigers waxed the Rebels tonight 9-1 and went a whopping 6-11 on the PP. Fraser's scoring is timely, to be sure.
Kevin King's first of the playoffs to give the Ice a 2-1 lead was key - for every obvious reason but more for the fact that he has to score if Kootenay's going anywhere but while McNabb (two assists), Eakin (also two) and Fraser were good, Max Reinhart was the top Ice player IMHO. Caused the Blades fits on the forecheck, controlled the puck and his goal to put the Ice up 3-1 was all heart.
Really, there were only a few times where the vaunted Blades really took it to the Ice and dominated. A bit in the first, same in the second and then the big push to start the third. This team is pure speed but for a such a big club, not a lot of physical push. D-men are activated all night - which lead to their only goal - but I'll expect more out of them tomorrow.
The Big Schenn-Eakin match-up was won on this night by Eakin. He was a factor all night where Schenn had a couple of chances but was more a factor on the frustration chart than anywhere else. That'll likely change tomorrow.
Watched Les Lazaruk - voice of the Blades - and Joe Kenward on Shaw in between periods on the Chilliwack situation. Anybody else see how uncomfortable he looked with Les talkin about the un-mentionable stuff? Don't agree with Les' position one bit but hey, everybody's entitled to an opinion. If I'm a Chilliwack fan I'm wild about this whole thing.
Ice lines:
King Boomer Eakin
Antilla Reinhart Fraser
Ismond Pearce Sam Reinhart
Hurley Benoit
McNabb Rintoul
Martin Leach
Dirk Paulsen
Neibrandt
Some interesting strategies line-up wise for the Ice as for the most part Knoblauch threw three lines at the Blades by playing the top two units a ton but then using the third line with the younger Reinhart - who again looked right at home and would certainly had his first playoff goal if Hurley lifts his head on the 3-on-1... But I digress... I don't think Neibrandt got a shift tonight.... Scratched were D Mike Simpson, F Adam Rossignol, F Brock Montgomery (Mono) and F Drew Czerwonka (Shoulder). Czerwonka is hopeful for Tuesday's game three but might play Saturday... I would think that Neibrandt dressed to see how Paulsen's shoulder held-up after the long layoff. Though he was okay. I wouldn't be surprised to see Kootenay go back to six D and 12 forwards tomorrow if Paulsen's good to go. But hey, a win usually means no line-up changes.
I wondered what a split in Saskatoon would do for Tuesday's crowd in Cranbrook for Game three....
Game two goes Saturday night.
5 comments:
Neibrandt did get a few shifts on forward not on D and I sure have heard enough about that crowd attendance, keep it to hockey. Saskatoon only had $7500+ at the game and they are multiple times larger than Cranbrook so give the fans that do come some credit!!!
ICE ICE ICE ICE ICE Hope the crowds pick up now, with that un-real performance!!!
WAY TO GO BOYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wondered the same thing about the crowd. All you can say is that the ICE are doing their part and I hope the crowd now does ours.....especially if they take 2.
Laughed as well at kenward. That was priceless.....he was squirming!!!!!!
Well done ICE!
Well, it's now up to us Cranbrook - the ICE have done their job it's time for us as fans to show up and do ours.
Great work on the road ICE!
The ICE have done an incredible job. This town had better think long and hard, get their act together, and get out and support this team on Tuesday and Wednesday. I wish the WHL and Shaw would come up with some agreement where Shaw blacks out the game in the home town they are broadcasting from I heard some NHL teams do it. Regardless, we need to get to the Rec Plex and cheer our boys on! Way to go guys! GO ICE GO!!
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