The Kootenay Ice are alive and now, they're starting to kick.
Matt Fraser and Cody Eakin each notched two goals and an assist while Joe Antilla and Max Reinhart chipped in with a goal and an assist as the Ice dumped the Owen Sound Attack 7-3 to move to the Memorial Cup semi-final tomorrow against the Mississauga Majors.
The Ice continued to do things the hard way as the club started the tie-breaker, do-or-die game arguably the flattest of all of their efforts at this tournament. And that's saying something.
A dominating period by the Attack pushed the OHL champs to a 2-0 first period lead that saw the Ice whiff on a glorious five-on-three opportunity that produced only three shots. Jesse Ismond took a penalty to start the second and the frustration was mounting.
Then came the turning point in the game, by of all players, Brendan Hurley. A solid hit down low by Hurley - a strategy not picked up by the Ice after the war the Attack played against the Majors 24 hours earlier - turned the puck over. Joe Antilla took a pass in the slot and Eric Benoit deftly kicked the puck up to his stick and tucked it past Scott Stajcer (Huh?) to cut the Attack lead to 2-1.
Truer to form, Hurley took a penalty right off the centre ice face-off but on the PK Cody Eakin pushed a puck ahead and took off on a two-on-one with Antilla. He ripped the game-tying goal and Kootenay finally looked like the team that dispatched the Blades, Tigers and Winterhawks en route to the WHL title.
Kootenay's powerplay started to click against the Sea Dogs and it continued tonight when Matt Fraser notched two straight markers, his 3rd and 4th of the tourney, to take a 4-2 lead. The wheels started to fall off for the Attack as Cody Eakin got his third of the tourney to make it 5-2 and Max Reinhart fired another short-handed marker to make it 6-2 in the third. The Attack got another to make it 6-3 but Eakin potted an empty-netter to send the Ice to the semi-final Friday.
Thoughts...
The Gall - It's baffling how this team doesn't panic. Down 2-0 and facing elimination after a less-than-stellar first period.
The Hit - As mentioned a solid hit down low by Hurley turned the puck over. Some great footwork by Benoit to his stick got the Ice started. Some third line magic as Benoit made the most of his opportunity.
The Save - With a 6-3 lead with still over 10 minutes to play Nathan Lieuwen made a spectacular windmill-pad save that went off the cross-bar and stayed out and kept the score 6-3 with the Attack, well, attacking. Alot. The Portland game two de ja vu all over again thing was stopped in its tracks.
The Decision - With all due respect to Attack coach Mark Reeds, I don't like his chances as Mr. Popular in Owen Sound after amazingly deciding to start Scott Stacjer in favour of Jordan Binnington in goal. Though the Attack were 1-2 Binnington lead the Memorial Cup in all the right categories. GAA - 1.42; Save % - .951; he also shut Kootenay out in the round robin. Reeds went with Stacjer. Maybe Dave Cameron will go with Taylor Edwards tomorrow night. I doubt it.
His name is - Joe, Antilla. Jeff Hollick's popular call is becoming a show stopper and if Antilla keeps scoring big playoff goals like he has this spring he'll be able to called whatever he wants. Mayor, Your Highness....
The Line-ups - Following a nearly disastrous first period the lack of depth on Owen Sound with the club's number two and three offensive weapons out of the line-up due to concussions caught up to the OHL champs. Take any two of Fraser, Reinhart or Eakin out of the line-up and you get a clearer picture of what the Attack were up against.
The Lines - Coach K went with what worked against the Sea Dogs with Drew Czerwonka moving up with Reinhart and Fraser while Antilla checked in with Benoit and Boomer. Brendan Hurley sprinkled in on the third line, including the Ice first goal, while Pearce and Montgomery were the fourth unit.
Okay, the Cynic says; They've beat a Saint John team with nothing to play for and resting two top players and they've beaten an Owen Sound team with two of their best players out of the line-up. The true test lies ahead with a healthy Mississauga squad that will have everyone in the line-up, including Chris DeSousa who took out Attack captain Garrett Wilson last night and wasn't punished under supplementary discipline by tournament heavy Brian O'Neill. There wasn't a penalty called on the play.
Up Next - The Ice get a second crack at the Majors this time with their captain and power play quarterback Brayden McNabb in the lineup. Gametime is 5pm on Sportsnet and the Drive.
The Media - Buzzing the Net, The Star, The Sun, and Sportsnet has all the details.
3 comments:
Great game last night. We have to implement our physical game much sooner against St. Mike's and use it for all 60 mins in order to win. It was the physical play that created the momentum change last night. St Mike's is a very physical team and it was evident against Owen sound. Go Ice Go. Let's believe. let's do it.
Is it just me or do those Sportsnet announcers even know the Kootenay ICE are in the tournament. Even after the ICE won it was Owen Sound this and Owen Sound that. I thought for such an important hockey championship they would be more neutral. Little do they know that talk like that is what spurs our team on. We are so proud of you. Cheer loud and proud everyone. GO ICE GO!!
Actually I thought that the two are getting better. Loubardias is a Saskatoonite and worked with Gregg Drinnan in Regina back in the day. He knows the WHL intimately. Both were in Cranbrook throughout the playoffs.
Costentino's orginally a baseball guy but he's establishing himself as a bonafide junior hockey guy, as best described when he helped break the Chilliwack to Victoria story.
There were so many storelines with OS that it was hard not to talk about them. Goalies, hurt players, etc.
That being said, they tend to cater to the Ontario market (numbers) and I expect the Majors will get most of the talk tonight.
Sportsnet would obviously like the bigger market (Saint John and Mississauga) in the final.
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