Ed Chynoweth Cup Champs 2011

The Kootenay Ice shutdown the Portland Winterhawks tonight in a 4-1 win over the Hawks to win the Ed Chynoweth Cup with a 4-1 series win.

The Hawks opened the scoring early when Sven Bartschi sent a pass out to Tyler Wotherspoon who pinched low to slap his third of the playoffs past Nathan Lieuwen for a 1-0 lead 2:26 into the game. Joey Leach took a tripping penalty a minute later and the Hawks pressed again but Lieuwen shut the door.

It would be the last sustained surge the Winterhawks would have all night.

With 4:13 left in the first period Jesse Ismond send a slap pass that chipped into the net by Steele Boomer. The referee waived it off, the red light went on but so did the play. Almost three minutes later play finally stopped for the play to be reviewed. The overhead camera clearly showed daylight between the puck and the crossbar and it was a goal. Boomer's 4th of the playoffs tied it at one.

In the second period the two club's played a cautious style that easily best suited the Ice. Late in the period Wotherspoon took a cross-checking penalty and Matt Fraser slapped his playoff-leading 16th in the last minute of the period for a 2-1 lead.

In the third Fraser added another and Ismond potted an empty-netter to seal the club's third WHL Championship in the last 11 seasons and punch their ticket to the Memorial Cup in Missauga starting next Friday.

Thoughts....

The Hawks got the start they wanted and the goal they needed. Following the PK with Leach off the Ice pushed back in a big way. They didn't score but they dominated in the Hawk zone. Boomer's goal three minutes after the fact deflated Portland like I've never seen before.

In the second when the Winterhawks should've ramped up their game, intensity and urgency, they did none of it. Kootenay's power play late was not a great example of Portland's pressure PK that has had some success in the series but a passive collapse that Kootenay was able to get Carruth going side-to-side.

In the third any fan watching and not knowing the score might think it was the Winterhawks sitting on a lead. Kootenay dominated all over the ice with Portland not receiving credit for their second shot until the 11 minute mark.

The MVP - Nathan Lieuwen got the nod as the sixth goaltender in the last 12 WHL final series to be named MVP. Lieuwen took his talent and game to a higher level in these playoffs. Does anyone remember him being pulled in Game one of these WHL playoffs against Moose Jaw? Probably not. He came up with big save after big save and lived up to the hype - perhaps unfairly - placed upon him from the word go all those years ago when as a 15-year-old he nearly single-handedly beat the powerful Calgary Hitmen in his Rec Plex debut. The inspiriational goaltender will now take his rightful place among Ice legends in the net; Blackburn, Boxma, Glass and now Lieuwen.

Cody Eakin - The big trade paid off in spades for the Ice. He was everything as advertised and more. His NHL speed and shot was a treat to watch. He'll join the likes of Comrie and Stoll on the wall of Ice fame.

Matt Fraser - I don't think anyone would anticipate the impact he'd have on the club and community when he was the player dealt for when the Ice traded overager Clayton Bauer in 2007. A tireless fund-raiser in the community he was the hot hand in these WHL Playoffs finishing with 17 goals.

The Zebras - A well-officiated game. They weren't a factor.

The Trap - Okay, did Portland just boil over with frustration and stop skating or was Kootenay's defensive game that good. Mostly the latter but certainly definitely some of the former. The Hawks folded.

Well-Played - Brayden McNabb gave the Ed Chynoweth Cup to Jeff to raise. An emotional moment.

As far as the final's five games go it was probably the most uneventful, except the end, of course.

In the end the magical ride isn't over yet. The Memorial Cup, the club's third, starts one week from tonight in Mississauga, Ontario at the Hershey Centre, home of the host Majors. The Ice will see their first Memorial Cup action against the OHL Champions or representative Saturday. Gametime is 5PM Mountain time. The schedule says they'll play Mississauga on Sunday. I add representative because both Owen Sound and the Majors are already in the tournament.

Here's the schedule. All games are on Sportsnet.

2011 MasterCard Memorial Cup Schedule (All times are Eastern, all 5PM starts in Cranbrook):

Round-Robin Game 1 – QMJHL vs. Mississauga on Friday May 20, 2011 at 7:00 pm

Round-Robin Game 2 – OHL vs. WHL on Saturday May 21, 2011 at 7:00 pm

Round-Robin Game 3 – Mississauga vs. WHL on Sunday May 22, 2011 at 7:00 pm

Round-Robin Game 4 – OHL vs. QMJHL on Monday May 23, 2011 at 7:00 pm

Round-Robin Game 5 – WHL vs. QMJHL on Tuesday May 24, 2011 at 7:00 pm

Round-Robin Game 6 – Mississauga vs. OHL on Wednesday May 25, 2011 at 7:00 pm

Tie-Breaker (if necessary) – Thursday May 26, 2011 at 7:00 pm

Semi-Final – Friday May 27, 2011 at 7:00 pm

Championship Final – Sunday May 29, 2011 at 7:00 pm

If you plan on going there's still lots of seats available at the Hershey Centre. With seating for 5400+ the Majors, the OHL's best team in the regular season, drew 4053 for game five of the championship series. The Majors are the host but could be champs also but they'll go to a game seven after Owen Sound beat them in game six in front of 3242 in Owen Sound. Like the Ice, the Majors are hearing it for their attendance too, though of course Mississauga has a population of some 734,000 and is Canada's six-largest city.

Good to see the Owen Sound club doing so well. Another small market that almost identical in size to Cranbrook. The Major's and Attack will battle it out in game seven tommorrow.

In the QMJHL the Gatineau (Formerly Hull a few years back) Olypiques pushed their Q-final series to a sixth game tonight with a 3-2 win over the Saint John Seadogs. The Seadogs feature former 20-year-old Thurderbird and Wheat King Jacob Deserres in the nets. He was waived throughout the WHL and picked up by the Seadogs at the beginining of the season. Game six is Sunday in Gatineau/Hull.

On a sad note I've just heard about the passing of NHL enforcer Derek Boorgard. I remember interviewing him as a Tiger in 2002-03. He was a monster at 6'8". Arguably the NHL's toughest fighter. He was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment. Very sad. RIP.

More later...