Medicine Hat, Alb – Kootenay ICE forward Cody Eakin scored at 5:59 in overtime is a 6-5 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers, in the 1st game of the Eastern Conference Finals, in WHL Playoff action on Friday night.
ICE led 3-1 after 1, the game was tied 3-3 after 2 and Tigers had leads of 4-3 and 5-4 in the 3rd.
Matt Fraser had 2 goals and 2 assists including tying the game on a late 5-on-3 powerplay. Max Reinhart had 1 goal and 2 assists with Drew Czerwonka and Eric Benoit also scoring.
Nathan Lieuwen made 2 stunning stops in overtime on Emerson Etem and Cole Grbavac.
Steele Boomer left the game late in the 3rd period after receiving a hit to the head.
For the Tigers Emerson Etem had 2 goals and 2 assists, Linden Vey 2 goals and 1 assists and Wacey Hamilton had the other goal.
ICE have set a Playoff Franchise Record with an 8-game winning streak.
They have tied a record with 5 straight road wins. (02 & 00)
The ICE gave up 5 goals against in the entire 4 game series vs Saskatoon and gave up 5 in 50 minutes vs Medicine Hat.
Going into the series the ICE had outscored their opposition 33-19 and the Tigers outscored their opponents 53-35.
ICE Head Coach Kris Knoblauch and Tigers Head Coach Shaun Clouston were both Assistant Coaches for their respective clubs last year when the played in the 1st round of the playoffs.
Former ICE Head Coach Cory Clouston is the younger brother of Shaun.
The ICE will be adding 15-year-old Sam Reinhart to the roster on Monday after he finishes competing in the Telus Cup (National Midget Championships). So far in 5 games he has 7 goals and 12 assists and leads the tournament with 19 points. He plays for the Vancouver NW Giants who have advanced to the playoff round this weekend.
Twice in this years’ playoffs the Tigers have comeback to win a game when trailing 4-1. (Game 4 vs Brandon (in Winnipeg) and Game 5 in Red Deer)
In ICE Playoff History …
Without home ice advantage – 11 times, have won the series 5 times.
Win game 1 – 13 times, won the series 9 times.
Win game 1 on the road – 6 times, won the series 4 times.
ICE scratches – Brock Montgomery, Adam Rossignol.
Tigers scratches – Tyler Pitlick, Spenser Jensen, Patrik Parkkonen.
Game Summary
Kootenay leads the series 1-0.
Game 2 is Saturday in Medicine Hat.
Kootenay 3 0 2 1 - 6
Medicine Hat 1 2 2 0 - 5
1st Period-1, Kootenay, Czerwonka 1 (Paulsen, Pearce), 1:45. 2, Kootenay, Reinhart 8 (Fraser), 11:01. 3, Medicine Hat, Vey 11 (Etem), 14:04. 4, Kootenay, Benoit 1 (Hurley, Fraser), 14:21. Penalties-Coyle M.h (interference), 5:13; Martin Ktn (elbowing), 16:06; McNabb Ktn (cross checking), 18:02.
2nd Period-5, Medicine Hat, Etem 8 (Theriau, Carr), 11:22. 6, Medicine Hat, Vey 12 (Etem), 15:23. Penalties-McNabb Ktn (interference), 9:43; Czerwonka Ktn (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 16:36; Petryk M.h (cross checking), 16:36; King Ktn (kneeing), 16:51; Vey M.h (hooking), 18:11.
3rd Period-7, Medicine Hat, Etem 9 (Vey), 4:03. 8, Kootenay, Fraser 11 (Reinhart), 7:12. 9, Medicine Hat, Hamilton 4 (Tochkin, Busenius), 10:03 (PP). 10, Kootenay, Fraser 12 (Reinhart, McNabb), 18:05 (PP). Penalties-Hurley Ktn (tripping), 5:00; Czerwonka Ktn (interference), 8:15; Owuya M.h (high sticking), 11:20; Grbavac M.h (interference), 17:03; Theriau M.h (tripping), 17:03.
OT Period-11, Kootenay, Eakin 4 (Antilla), 5:59. Penalties-No Penalties
Shots on Goal-Kootenay 9-12-11-1-4-37. Medicine Hat 9-9-11-6-35.
Power Play Opportunities-Kootenay 1 / 5; Medicine Hat 1 / 6.
Goalies-Kootenay, Lieuwen 9-2-0-0 (29 shots-24 saves). Medicine Hat, Bunz 4-3-0-0 (33 shots-27 saves).
A-0
Referees-Brett Montsion, Andy Thiessen (11).
Linesmen-Michael Roberts (87), Cory Lundquist (128).