Cranbrook, BC – Kootenay ICE forward Kevin King scored his 1st career hat trick in a 7-4 win over the Regina Pats in WHL action on Tuesday night.
Regina opened the scoring on the powerplay as Shayne Neigum got a rebound near the net off a Garrett Mitchell shot. The puck went off the players leg into the net.
41-seconds later the Pats took a 2-0 lead as Chandler Stephenson was in the middle shot and his wrist shot beat the goalie along the ice low on the stick side. The puck hit the corner of the post and came out quickly. Video replay did not overturn the ref’s call that it was a goal.
In the 2nd period the ICE scored as Brayden McNabb’s slap pass from the blueline was deflected high into the net by Kevin King.
While shorthanded the ICE tied the game 2-2 as Cody Eakin came down the left wing and scored with a shot high on the glove side. It’s his 3rd shorthanded goal in his 9th game with the ICE.
The ICE took the lead on a powerplay as Kevin King was wide open in the left circle and his wrist shot beat the goalie high on the stick side.
Late in the period Jagger Dirk was deep in his own zone and passed to the Regina blueline to Matt Fraser who stepped across the line and scored with a wrist shot that went through the goalie.
In the 3rd period the ICE scored on the powerplay as James Martin’s waist high point shot was deflected into the net by Jesse Ismond.
King completed the hat trick on the powerplay as he was in the low slot and redirected a Cody Eakin shot.
Regina scored 2 goals 3 minutes apart in the 3rd period to make the score 6-4.
On a delayed penalty Nils Moser got a loose puc near the net and lifted it into the net.
3 minutes later Jordan Weal fed Andrew Reider in he slot and his shot beat the goalie low on the stick side.
Pats pulled the goalie with 1:19 left and Max Reinhart scored his team leading 27th from the Regina blueline.
Kevin King and Matt Fraser extended their point streaks to 8 games. Fraser has goals in 5 straight games.
McNabb had 4 assists and it's the 2nd time he has reached that total this season.
Cody Eakin has played 9 games with the ICE with 7 goals and 9 assists. He has 3 shorthanded goals and 1 powerplay goal.
ICE goalie Brett Teskey’s last start was January 26th vs Brandon and his last win was January 7th vs Moose Jaw.
Defenseman Luke Paulsen is expected to return to the line-up on Friday.
Forward Steele Boomer is expected to start skating in less than a week.
Defenseman Joey Leach will see the doctors in Calgary tomorrow and hopefully will get the go-ahead to begin training on the ankle.
ICE will visit Regina on Friday.
ICE Scratches – Luke Paulsen (6th game concussion day-to-day), Steele Boomer (9th game ankle 1-2 weeks), Joey Leach (ankle surgery 2-3 weeks).
Game Summary
Regina 19-28-6-1 Kootenay 35-17-1-2
1st Period
1. Regina, Neigum 10 (Mitchell, Weal) 11:45 pp
2. Regina, Stephenson 5 12:26
Penalties – Jung Reg Fraser Ktn (fighting) 7:51, Montgomery Ktn (check from behind) 10:39.
2nd Period
3. Kootenay, King 23 (McNabb, Eakin) 3:23
4. Kootenay, Eakin 26 (McNabb) 6:39 sh
5. Kootenay, King (2) 24 (McNabb, Fraser) 16:37 pp
6. Kootenay, Fraser 25 (Dirk) 19:51
Penalties – Weal Reg (slashing) :23, Fraser Ktn (delay of game) 6:30, Weal Reg (hooking) 9:55, Czerwonka Ktn (slashing) 11:45, Bell Reg (tripping) 15:40.
3rd Period
7. Kootenay, Ismond 13 (Reinhart, Martin) 6:50 pp
8. Kootenay, King (3) 25 (McNabb, Eakin) 10:56 pp
9. Regina, Moser 3 (Schneider, Neigum) 13:16
10. Regina, Reider 9 (Weal) 16:16
11. Kootenay, Reinhart 27 (Fraser) 18:52 en
Penalties – Davidson Reg (hooking) 5:15, Reinhart Ktn (roughing) 8:18, Bell Reg (interference) 9:15, Scheidle Reg (tripping) 10:03, Neigum Reg Antilla Ktn (roughing) 18:07.
Shots on goal by
Regina - 8 - 3 – 12 = 23
Kootenay – 13 – 15 – 16 = 44
Goal (shots-saves) – Regina: Damien Ketlo (L 8-20-5-1) (43-37) Kootenay: Brett Teskey (W 9-3-0-0) (23-19)
Power plays (goals-chances) - Regina: 1/4 Kootenay: 3/7
Referee – Sean Raphael
Linesmen – Steve Cochrane, Michael Roberts
Attendance – 2,164