Ice over Rockets for five straight

For the Townsman Monday

Ice run the BC Division table, win 4-0 over Rockets

by Jeff Bromley

A stellar effort by goaltender Nathan Lieuwen, a red-hot power play and a diving call on the Rocket captain all combined to give the Kootenay Ice a 4-0 win over the hometown Kelowna Rockets Friday night, Kootenay’s fifth straight – all on the road through the BC Division – vaulting the club into top spot in the WHL with 39 points. With an 18-5-1-2 record and .750 winning percentage the Ice sit atop the WHL class. “Nathan played very well,” said Ice head coach Kris Knoblauch. “And without his efforts it’s probably a different story but our team as a whole played very well defensively. (Kelowna) had their opportunities but our defense did an excellent job of limiting the quality of those chances.”

Outshot 10-5 in the opening frame Ice super-rookie Sam Reinhart had the only goal of the period when Drew Czerwonka fed him a pass on a short 2-on-1 in which the 16-year-old sent a shot five-hole that trickled through Rocket goaltender Adam Brown. The Rockets poured on the shots and led in the category that doesn’t count 24-11 after two periods but it was a controversial late second-period embellishment call by referee Adam Griffiths on Rocket captain Colton Scissons that turned the tide. With the crowd of 6121 getting surlier by the minute over the call, things went south for the Rockets when Czerwonka finished off a pretty three-way passing play at the goal-mouth with his 8th of the season to make it 2-0. It was the turning point in a tight 1-0 hockey game. “Everyone has an opinion on the call but the goal was definitely a turning point,” Knoblauch said. “I didn’t see it (the penalty) and haven’t seen it on video yet but (Ice assistant coach Todd Johnson) saw it and didn’t disagree with the call.”

Rocket head coach Ryan Huska, naturally, did. “I think it was a bad call,” Huska told Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier. “It was a bad call in a 1-0 game. I don’t think that call should be made.”

The Rockets continued to get into penalty trouble in the third and Kootenay’s power play – now ranked 4th overall at 23.6% and 2nd on the road, clicking at 30% - went to work. Ice forward Brock Montgomery notched his 6th and 7th on the season to put the game out of reach – one a turn-around blast off a scramble and the other a redirection behind Brown – to make it 4-0. It’s been a meteoric rise for a power play ranked as low as 17th in the WHL just a few weeks ago. “With our system we haven’t changed anything dramatic,” said Knoblauch of his club’s success on the power play. “Todd has done a great job of going over the video and correcting some minor details so that everyone is on the same page.”

While Montgomery notched two goals and Czerwonka matched the two point night with a goal and an assist, Max Reinhart got on the board with three assists and brother Sam finished with a goal and an assist, giving the rookie an astounding 14 points on the five game road trip for a total of 22 on the season, good for sixth in rookies and tops among 16-year-olds. “I’m not surprised he’s had a road trip like this,” said Knoblauch. “He’s a very skilled player. He’s playing in a role he’s very comfortable with right now and has found some good chemistry playing on a line with his brother and Joe Antilla.”

Arriving back in Cranbrook early Saturday morning the club enjoyed a few days off before continuing the nine-game odyssey away from the Cranbrook Rec Plex currently occupied by the Canada Cup of Curling. It’s a change coming home from a long trip only to head out on another four-game swing starting Wednesday in Saskatoon. “After having a road trip like we did,” continued Knoblauch. “It lessens the blow of doing it all over again.”

Quick Hits – The shutout was Lieuwen’s second of the season and 8th of his WHL career… Sam’s point-scoring streak is now at five games with 14 points. Max’s streak is a game longer at six games notching 12 points. Joe Antilla’s point streak is also at five games with 8 points… Ice scratches were D Luke Paulsen (team suspension), Eric Benoit (upper body – day-to-day) and Levi Cable (healthy). Benoit will return Wednesday against Saskatoon after missing five games. F Dylen McKinlay is the lone veteran left to serve his one-game suspension and will do so in Saskatoon Wednesday… G Mackenzie Skapski is ranked 4th among WHL goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting in their preliminary rankings... C Max Reinhart will find out Monday if he's among the 37 or so players getting the invite to Team Canada's Selection Camp. Hockey Canada will announced the roster invites at 9:30 Mountain time.