Cranbrook, BC – Kootenay ICE Captain Dustin Sylvester had a hat trick in an 8-1 win over the Saskatoon Blades in WHL action on Wednesday night.
Blades opened the scoring as Darian Dziurzynski was alone in front of the net and poked in a rebound through the goalies legs.
ICE tied the game as goalie Todd Mathews stopped a 2-on-1 and then assisted on the goal as Dustin Sylvester went the other way and fired a wrist shot high on the glove side.
In the second period the ICE scored 2 goals 26 second apart.
Sylvester got his 2nd of the game as he fired home a Kevin King rebound.
Jesse Ismond created a turnover that sent Matt Fraser to the slot and scored on a high wrist shot.
Blades called their timeout after the 3rd ICE goal.
ICE forward Brock Montgomery made the score 4-1 as he was alone in front of the net and wristed a shot high on the stick side.
After killing off a 2 man disadvantage the ICE, with the clubs skating 4-on-4, made the score 5-1 as Montgomery pounced on a rebound and put a shot that snuck through the laid down goalie.
Montgomery then became a playmaker as he won the race to the puck in the corner and fed Drew Czerwonka who crashed the net for a redirection.
To start the third period the Blades changed goalies as Adam Morrison replaced Steven Stanford.
Sylvester notched his 2nd hat trick of the season and 4th of his career on a 3-on-2 break and wristed a shot high on the glove side.
Joe Antilla banged at a couple of rebounds near the crease and eventually rolled it in to complete the scoring.
ICE scratches – Dominik Pacovsky 16th game (ankle 2-3 weeks), Jagger Dirk & Elgin Pearce.
The ICE have won 7 in a row.
The loss ends the Blades winning streak at 5 games.
The win was the 100th regular season victory for ICE Head Coach Mark Holick.
ICE will visit Calgary on Thursday and host Red Deer on Saturday.
Game Summary
Saskatoon 29-8-1-3 Kootenay 23-15-1-2
1st Period
1. Saskatoon, Dziurzynski 4 (Toomey) 10:56
2. Kootenay, Sylvester 21 (King, Mathews) 15:40
Penalties – Hurley Ktn (goalie interference) 6:36, Antilla (interference) 16:32.
2nd Period
3. Kootenay, Sylvester (2) 22 (King, Boomer) 1:08
4. Kootenay, Fraser 17 (Ismond) 1:34
5. Kootenay, Montgomery 8 (Rintoul, Senkerik) 6:50
6. Kootenay, Montgomery (2) 9 (Molle, Leach) 15:59
7. Kootenay, Czerwonka 3 (Montgomery, Martin) 19:29
Penalties – Ismond Ktn (hooking) 2:44, Molle Ktn (tripping) 3:44, Mathews Ktn (delay of game, unsportsmanlike) 13:02, Nicholls Sask (goalie interference) 15:51, Dziurzynski Sask (hooking) 17:12.
3rd Period
8. Kootenay, Sylvester (3) 23 (Boomer, Mathews) 4:22
9. Kootenay, Antilla 11 (Martin, Czerwonka) 16:06
Penalties – Vandane Sask (hooking) 16:25.
Shots on goal by
Saskatoon - 7 - 4 – 11 = 22
Kootenay – 16 – 16 – 6 = 38
Goal (shots-saves) – Saskatoon: Steven Stanford (32-26) (L 15-4-1-0) (third) Adam Morrison (6-4) Kootenay: Todd Mathews (W 16-7-1-2)
Power plays (goals-chances) - Saskatoon: 0/6 Kootenay: 0/3
Referees – Trevor Hanson, Andy Theissen
Linesmen – Chris Carlson, Matthew Barker
Attendance – 2,495