Warriors edge Ice

The Score – Moose Jaw 3 – Kootenay 2

What Happened – In what turned out to be a superb hockey game, the Ice shrugged off a sub-par first period and played a firewagon style, high-risk, high-reward style of hockey. For awhile it paid off but in the end, it cost them and then the Luke Siemens show took over.

The Turning Point – After dominating for most of the second period and a good start to the third, a turnover on the half-wall cost them the eventually game-winner that went off Wand and past Lieuwen. For keeping them in the game for the first period, the 20-year-old deserved a better fate.

The Goals – For about a four minute stretch in the first the Ice couldn’t escape their zone with a clean breakout and it eventually cost them when some nice work down low by Tanner Eberle got the puck out to Kenton Miller streaking across the slot. He out waited Lieuwen and deposited his 14th to make it 1-0 Warriors… Whatever Coach K said in the first intermission he should bottle and sell because the Ice emerged with some fire. He didn’t get an assist on the play but Jesse Ismond’s hit on Warrior D Travis Brown caused a turnover that went to Eric Benoit on the fly. He stepped over the blueline and wired a beauty past Siemens to tie it at one… Just as the mess of Warrior penalties expired Sam Reinhart made the curl around the net to pick-up a missed shot – his own, from the slot – and beat Siemens short-side to make it 2-1…After carrying the play D Jeff Hubic gambled at the blueline and lost as the 2-on-1 developed the other way. F Joe Antilla, playing back on forward with the acquisition of Tanner Muth, chugged back on the backcheck but ended up taking the wrong guy as both he and Wand took the puck-carrier, leaving Tanner Eberle in alone to get the pass. He buried his 5th past Lieuwen to tie it at two… Playing with fire to start the third the Ice Eric Benoit couldn’t corral the puck along the half-wall. Eberle walked out with the puck and beat Lieuwen stick-side after it deflected off of D Spencer Wand. 3-2 Warriors.

The Save – There were two in the first period, both on 2-on-1’s. On the power play the Warriors Kenton Miller tipped a pass that Lieuwen stretched so far my groin hurt, and got a toe on, and then with about 12 minutes gone in the first another 2-on-1 developed with Fioretti the recipient of a great pass and some time. He deked and then shot but Lieuwen made a great glove save. He couldn’t bail them out forever though as the Warriors took a 1-0 lead two minutes later.

NHL Debut – Former Ice captain Ryan Russell made his NHL debut today in L.A. as Russell’s Columbus Blue Jackets edged the Kings 1-0. Russell didn’t hit the scoresheet but managed 9:18 of ice-time. Ryan joined his brother Kris in a summer trade to Columbus only to have Kris dealt to the St. Louis Blues almost two months ago.

The Penalty Mix-up – The Ice ended up with a 5-on-3 not long after tying the game when Cody Beach and Joel Edmundson took consecutive cross-checking penalties. Less than a minute later Jordan Wyton took a slashing penalty – along with Dylan McIlrath taking a misconduct for beaking the ref – but the penalty box attendants let a Warrior out too early as the third penalty wouldn’t start until the first two ended (because they were consecutive). It caused about a five minute delay for the zebras to figure out. There’ll be a test on it later. The Ice didn’t score on the PP but hit the post – three times – and scored just as the penalties expired.

The Muth-man – Obtained in a straight one-for-one deal Friday with F Adam Rossignol going the Broncos, the former second round Bantam pick in 2008 made an impact. In the second he stepped up and put a shoulder into Warrior forward Brett Lyon – a clean check – that sent to Lyon to the ice. Warrior tough guy Cody Beach chased Muth down and started a fight. Muth, giving away five inches, stepped up and earned a draw with the big 19-year-old, including switching hands, landing three quality blows and drawing a loud retort from the Ice faithful.

The Trade – The aforementioned D Tanner Muth, 18, in exchange for Forward Adam Rossignol, also 18. The Ice gain depth on the blueline – some much needed depth with D Luke Paulsen out indefinitely with a concussion – and the Broncos acquire a forward with some offensive touch that wasn’t getting the time he wanted in Cranbrook. Rossignol told the Townsman that he’d asked for not only more ice-time but ultimately a trade in December when the ice-time wasn’t coming his way. Just a side note; With all the deals between the two clubs – Jaffray, Rome headed to Swift for Duncan Milroy and B.J. Boxma in 2001-02; Negrin and Stickland for Martin and Magnus, along with D Spencer Wand and D Cole Depape as draft picks (2009); the Eakin deal last season – you’d think the Broncos wouldn’t want anything to do with trading anything to Kootenay. The only deal that burned the Ice was the original deal that saw Boxma sent to the Broncos in 2000. He beat them in the 2001 WHL Playoffs in seven games. But really, the track record isn't at all in the Broncos favour. I’d be a little jumpy seeing the Ice name on the call-display if I’m the Broncos…. So, the only question now, is he done?

The Crowd – 3053.

My Three Stars:

1. F Tanner Eberle – 2 goals, assist; hot hand on this night
2. F Sam Reinhart – goal, many, many chances
3. G Luke Siemens – Was stellar in preserving the lead

What it means – The Ice fall to 23-13-1-3 and 50 points, good for fourth-place in the Eastern Conference, two back of the Tigers who won tonight and are here tomorrow. The Oil Kings, the hottest team in the WHL, won also, extending their Central Division lead to eight points over the Ice.

Up Next: The Medicine Hat Tigers, two points clear of the Ice, are in town Sunday night.

Summary:

Warriors 3 @ Ice 2

CRANBROOK, B.C. - Western Hockey League summary for regular season game between the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Kootenay Ice; January 7, 2012

Tanner Eberle's second goal of the night in the third period stood up as the game-winner as the Moose Jaw Warrior edged the Kootenay Ice 3-2 in WHL action Saturday.

The Warriors opened the scoring when Kenton Miller beat Nathan Lieuwen from a behind the net feed from Eberle. In the second the Ice jumped out to a 2-1 lead on goals by Eric Benoit, with his 9th, and Sam Reinhart with his 11th of the season before Eberle struck for the first time on a 2-on-1 at 6:58 to tie it at two.

In the third Eberle's wrist shot deflected off Ice defender Spencer Wand past Lieuwen for the eventual game-winner and giving the 17-year-old a three-point night.

Luke Siemens was stellar in stopping 35 of 37 shots to get the win while Lieuwen was also sharp, stopping 19 of 22 shots to take the loss.

First Period
1. Moose Jaw, Miller 14 (Eberle) 13:36

Penalties -- McKinlay Ktn (slashing) 5:46,

Second Period
2. Kootenay, Benoit 9 0:52
3. Kootenay, S. Reinhart 11 (Czerwonka, Dirk) 5:39
4. Moose Jaw, Eberle 5 (Miller, Edmundson) 6:58

Penalties -- Edmundson MJ (cross-checking) Beach MJ (cross-checking) 1:35, Wyton MJ (slashing) McIlrath MJ (misconduct) 2:16, Benoit Ktn (boarding) 9:04, Beach MJ (instigator - served by White, fighting, misconduct) Muth Ktn (fighting) 11:43, McKinlay Ktn Wyton MJ (unsportsmanlike conduct) 13:10.

Third Period
5. Moose Jaw, Eberle 6 2:32

Penalties -- Miller MJ (tripping) 12:12, Bench Minor Ktn (too-many-men - served by Pearce) 15:12.

Shots on goal by
Kootenay: 7 14 16 - 37
Moose Jaw: 12 5 5 - 22

Goal -- Kootenay: Nathan Lieuwen (L, 17-10-1-2); Moose Jaw: Luke Siemens (W, 21-8-3-2).

Power Plays -- (goals-chances)
Kootenay: 0-5
Moose Jaw: 0-3

Referee -- Jeff Ingram, Jason Nissen. Linesman -- Jeremi Del Campo, Ian Shaver.

Attendance -- 3053 (4264)

Scratches --
Kootenay: Luke Paulsen (concussion - indefinite), Luke Philp, Jesse Wood-Schatz, Jon Martin, Mike Simpson.
Moose Jaw: Morgan Reilly (knee - indefinite), Dallas Erhardt (flu), Tyler Vanscourt (flu), Wheaton King (flu), Brett Brooks, Eric Arnold.