The Score – Medicine Hat 1 – Kootenay 3
What Happened – The Tigers had their chances but couldn't solve Lieuwen more than Etem's marker in the second. The 20-year-old shut the door the rest of the night.
The Turning Point – Up 2-1 in a tight game Hunter Shinkaruk was awarded a penalty shot at the 7:41 mark of the third period. Lieuwen stopped him and everything else the Tigers threw at him.
The Goals – Streaking down the wing with speed after getting a nice chip off the wall from Martin, Brendan Hurley ripped his 3rd past Tyler Bunz as the fourth line started things off… In the second after Etem’s line was caught icing the puck after a long change, Reinhart’s line came-on and controlled the play in the Tiger zone – almost like it was a power play with the Tiger top unit gassed – and after almost a minute of the Ice ragging the puck, Sam scored his 12th on a bad angle shot through a maze of legs. Etem ended up coming off the ice leaking from an errant stick. 2-0 Ice… Joe Antilla took his second straight penalty – this one 200 feet from his own net – and on the breakout James Bettauer found Emerson Etem through the neutral zone and he split the D with NHL-type speed and roofed his 34th of the season past Lieuwen to halve the Ice lead… In the third when Etem took a silly penalty skating into a scrum and landing on Nathan Lieuwen, Jesse Ismond gain possession below the redline and found Elgin Pearce on a one-timer to make it 3-1.
The Fight – Off a scrum in front of Lieuwen Boston Leier and Jagger Dirk skated off and decided to go at it. Leier tagged Dirk with a straight right that rocked Dirk and sent him to the ice. To his credit he got right back up and kept going. He landed a couple before both went to the ice.
The Saves – There were two on this night that I liked. In the second Nathan Lieuwen had to stretch his left leg across the net to stop Curtis Valk and preserve a 2-1 lead and in the third Elgin Pearce got loose with some room but his shot was snatched with a great glove save by Bunz.
The Penalty Shot – With the Ice holding a 2-1 lead Joe Leach had his shot blocked and Shinkaruk was off to the races. Leach caught him and slashed him but he got the shot off that went wide but referee Jeff Ingram – doing his second straight game in Cranbrook – decided it warranted a penalty shot, much to the dismay of the Ice faithful. Like all but Etem’s goal on this night, Lieuwen stopped him.
The Muth – Kootenay’s acquisition from Swift Current played his second game with the Ice and notched his first point, an assist on the game-winner. He also played some serious minutes and saved a goal late in the game by clearing a puck sitting on the goal-line. Oh, and on the topic of Bronco-Ice trades there were a few I forgot: D Mike Busto in 2004 for C Jeremy Schenderling; G Jeff Harvey (as part of the Jaffray/Milroy deal); D Donny Lloyd for a 6th round pick in 2005 (D Brad Ryan); F Kris Foucault for a 6th round pick in 2008 and just for good measure, current Ice F Eric Benoit was in the Broncos camp two years ago but wasn’t listed by the Broncos.
The Crowd – 2568; The club is averaging 2765/game through 21 home dates, an increase of almost 300 per game through the same period over last season, if you were wondering.
Rec Plex Three Stars:
1. G Nathan Lieuwen – Carried his team on both nights this weekend. Sunday got the win he deserved.
2. D Joey Leach – Rearguard bounced back with a strong night
3. F Emerson Etem – His NHL speed is a treat to watch
What it means – The Ice improve to 24-13-1-3, 52 points and back into a tie with the Tigers for 3rd in the Eastern Conference.
Up Next: The trade deadline is Tuesday afternoon while the Ice are in Red Deer Wednesday night to start a five-game road trip over two weeks.
Summary:
Tigers 1 @ Ice 3
CRANBROOK, B.C. - Western Hockey League summary for regular season game between the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Kootenay Ice; January 8, 2012
Sam Reinhart's 12th of the season stood up as the game-winner as the Kootenay Ice beat the Medicine Hat Tigers 3-1 in WHL action Sunday night.
The Ice opened the scoring 3:30 into the game when Brendan Hurley streaked down the left-wing and rifled a wrist-shot past Tyler Bunz for a 1-0 lead. Sam Reinhart's goal off a behind the net feed from his brother Max at 8:44 of the second period gave the Ice a 2-0 lead before Emerson Etem cut the lead in half with the Tigers on the power play at the 14:00 minute mark with his 34th of the year as he split the Ice defense and beat Nathan Lieuwen.
With the Ice on the power play in the third Elgin Pearce got his 17th of the season on another behind-the-net feed, this time by Jesse Ismond.
Nathan Lieuwen was stellar on the night, stopping 31 of 32 shots in getting the win while Tyler Bunz stopped 21 of 24 shots in taking the loss.
First Period
1. Kootenay, Hurley 3 (Martin, Niebrandt) 3:30
Penalties -- Benoit Ktn (kneeing) 7:30, Kessy MH (unsportsmanlike conduct) 15:01, Ismond Ktn (hooking) 16:15.
Second
2. Kootenay, S. Reinhart 12 (M. Reinhart, Muth) 8:44
3. Medicine Hat, Etem 34 (Bettauer) 14:00 (pp)
Penalties -- Antilla Ktn (slashing) 3:51, Antilla Ktn (holding) 13:32, Leier MH Dirk Ktn (fighting) 15:23,
Third Period
4. Kootenay, Pearce 17 (Ismond, Reinhart) 12:56 (pp)
Penalties -- Leach Ktn (cross-checking) 2:33, Grbavac MH (tripping) 8:05, Etem MH (roughing), Konan MH (misconduct) 11:07, Dirk Ktn (tripping) 13:26, Dirk Ktn (high-sticking) Hurley Ktn Etem MH (roughing) 17:19.
Shots on goal by
Kootenay: 4 14 6 - 24
Medicine Hat: 8 9 15 - 32
Goal -- Kootenay: Nathan Lieuwen (W, 18-10-1-2); Medicine Hat: Tyler Bunz (L, 23-11-2).
Power Plays -- (goals-chances)
Kootenay: 1-3
Medicine Hat: 1-7
Penalty Shot - Shinkaruk MH 7:41 of second (stopped).
Referee -- Jeff Ingram, Brett Montison. Linesman -- Ian Shaver, Jim Maniago.
Attendance -- 2568 (4264)
Scratches --
Kootenay: Jeff Hubic, Luke Paulsen (concussion - indefinite), Jaedon Descheneau, Jesse Wood-Schatz.
Medicine Hat: Tyler Lewington, Gavin Broadhead, Kyle Becker, Jayden Hart.
10 comments:
With Paulson out and the intensity of the games building, do you think .500 hockey win/ loss will get us to the playoffs? With him back I think alls good. Get well soon Luke
They play like that even without Paulsen I think the playoffs isn't the problem.
With Paulsen in the lineup and now the depth that Muth provides make's them that much stronger.
Trade deadline tomorrow...what will we see? Anything at all? Trade for a stud, try make a run? Or sell the assets and "re-build"? So many young players with skill on this team, it wouldn't be a bad idea to try add a few more... Lieuwen or M. Reinhart would bring a big payout... thoughts?
Lieuwen and Max do not get dealt unless it's an outrageous price and even at that I'd bet real money against it happening.
One, the club has a real shot at least the second round perhaps the third with Lieuwen in the nets which is big dollars to a small-market franchise.
Two, the experience that the 16's and 17-year-olds gain with a playoff round or two under their belt go a long way to the goal of getting back to the big show when their 18 and 19.
And three, if anything, the GM is loyal to his veterans.
It's not going to happen unless it's an offer that blows him away, and even then I still don't think it will.
I think he's done. If he can add a depth forward with experience at a small cost he might but I think he'll stand pat and let the kids go as far as they can.
You forgot the Derek Price for a 5th round pick trade with Swift Current
Hurley's gone now too! This team could be in trouble next year... why so many unhappy players?? Hmmm...
Really don't understand that trade at all. That kid gave us so much and we couldn't get him off 4th line. Gimme a break. We should have looked at moving a 19 yr old to free up some space. Remember, you can only keep 3 of them next year anyway. All the punches in the face he took to get us the banner and we do this. He's one of the reasons I bought @#$& season tickets. When I come to the rink, I don't want to see the Czech's play the Slovak's.
I'll be honest, it's great that a fan bought season ducats because of the play of one player but I'd never think it was because of Brendan Hurley. Coming out of Bantam Hurley was a goal-scoring power-forward but he could never carve himself a niche in that role here. He's not a top-six guy, and started the season on the third unit but injuries and the play of Benoit and Rossignol (before he was dealt) squeezed his ice-time. You don't deal the 19-year-olds right now with the club in the thick of a playoff scrap and still a shot of finishing high in the conference standings.
Yes, they return 7 (Reinhart won't be back - he's signed by the Flames) possible 20-year-olds but that's a problem for the summer/training camp next fall. Those 19's are going to be needed come playoff time.
Jeff, you might want to read that again. I never said he was the reason. I said, he was one of the reason's. I know that's hard for you to understand that anyone would go to a game to watch anyone other than the Rhinehart's and lets be honest to use your word he did spend the better part of 3 seasons on the 4th line. Remember, at the beginning of the year you said Montgomery should be the odd man out. Again, Montgomery another reason I bought the @#$% tickets.
Okay, so you said that one of the reasons was Hurley, I stand corrected - somewhat.
Yes, this past summer I wrote that Montgomery's role will have to be defined. He wasn't going to be able to rely on a role as a power forward/enforcer type.
His development has been phenomenal though as his 12 goals will attest to. Montgomery seized the third line role and has even earned PP time on the second unit, something Hurley wasn't able to do.
Junior hockey is about development as much as winning - one doesn't go without the other - giving a guy like Martin or Descheneau time that Hurley would've got will pay off in two years.
Next year, one Anon had a point about the club being thick in 20-year-olds. If Czerwonka and Leach aren't signed by Edmonton and Calgary, respectively, they'll go back into the draft but could also end up in junior for one more year.
That would give the Ice seven 92's. Even five - with McKinlay, Pearce, Montgomery, Neibrandt and Paulsen will make for some tough decision making but who from those would you deal, thereby keeping Hurley?
Sure it would take care of September somewhat but right now there's also March and April to worry about. It's a balance.
Post a Comment