Cranbrook, BC – Kootenay ICE forward Max Reinhart tied a WHL Record with 5 goals in a 7-2 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers, to win the Eastern Conference Finals, in WHL playoff action on Wednesday.
ICE opened the scoring as Max Reinhart’s long shot was stopped but the goalie didn’t know the puck was loose behind him in the crease and Reinhart jumped behind him to put the puck into the net.
Brayden McNabb assisted on the goal and has tied a Franchise Record with a 9 game point streak in the playoffs. (Martin Sagat 05, Adam Cracknell 05)
ICE made it 2-0 on a 2 on-1 break as Joe Antilla fed it to Max Reinhart who scored with a one time wrist shot high on the glove side.
Max Reinhart completed his 1st period hat-trick as he received a behind the net feed from Matt Fraser and while in the low slot his quick shot beat the goalie low on the stick side.
It’s the 2nd hat trick by the ICE in this years playoffs (Matt Fraser vs Moose Jaw) and is the 9th in Franchise history.
It’s the 3rd time an ICE player has scored 3 goals in one period of a playoff game. (Martin Sagat Apr 9/05 in Everett, Trevor Wasyluk Mar 24/99 in Calgary)
Reinhart also tied a Franchise Record with 3 points in a period of a playoff game. (Andrew Bailey, Martin Sagat,
Adam Taylor, Nigel Dawes, Trevor Wasyluk)
Tigers called their timeout after the 3rd goal against.
Tigers got on the board as the Kellan Tochkin scored with a wrist shot from the top of the circle that sprised the goalie high on the glove side.
ICE regained a 3 goal lead on another odd man rush as Kevin King got a backhand shot on net and the rebound was put in by Cody Eakin.
Eakin has scored a goal in 5 straight games.
Early in the 2nd period the Tigers made the score 4-2 as Wacey Hamilton fed a wide open Cole Grbavac who scored from the bottom of the circle.
ICE made it 5-2 as Hayden Rintoul’s point shot was stopped as the rebound was put in by Cody Eakin.
Tigers changed goalies as Deven Dubyk replaced Tyler Bunz.
At the end of a penalty kill Max Reinhart picked up a puck at centre ice and went in on a breakaway and scored his 4th goal of the game with a wrist shot through the legs of the new goalie.
In the 3rd period the ICE scored another shorthanded goal as Max Reinhart leaned into a backhand shot that beat the goalie high on the glove side.
Reinhart is the 4th player in WHL history to score 5 goals in a playoff game. (Dave Chartier, Don Nachbaur, Dave Kryskow)
Reinhart tied a Franchise Record with 2 shorthanded goals in a playoff game (Martin Sagat 05) and set a Record with 3 shorthanded goals in one playoff season.
3 career shorthanded goals is also a new Playoff Team Record.
Drew Czerwonka, who left game 3 on a stretcher, was cleared to play by the medical staff by didn’t play due to soreness. Czewronka fell into the end boards head/shoulder first and then was taken to hospital where the x-rays showed no problems.
ICE have won 11 playoffs games in a row and the WHL record is 12 and has been done 5 times.
In ICE Playoff History …
It’s the 6th time the ICE have clinched a series on home ice.
(11 Saskatoon, 03 Kamloops, 02 Red Deer, 02 Kelowna, 02 Prince George)
It’s the 6th time the ICE have swept a series.
(Saskatoon 11, Everett 05, Seattle 02, Moose Jaw 01, Red Deer 00)
ICE scratches – Brock Montgomery, Steele Boomer, Drew Czerwonka.
Tigers scratches – Dawson MacAuley (3rd goalie), Tyler Pitlick, Spenser Jensen, Sebastian Owuya.
Quotes:
ICE – Max Reinhart
On scoring 5 goals - “I think it was one of those games for me, especially in the 1st period every puck just found my stick and I was just able to find the back of the net. It’s a special feeling coming out and winning a game like this, having the crowd amped up as they were it was an unbelievable feeling here.”
On going into the WHL Finals – “We’re going to have to stay on track. We’ve got a good thing going and we can’t get too high or too low. We just can’t give up the style that we’re playing right now. What’s going for us right now is working and we’re going to have to keep on the same track.”
ICE – Cody Eakin
On named Eastern Conference Playoff MVP – “It’s great to win it. Everyone just buys into this team and it’s evident throughout through the whole playoffs. It’s been exciting for myself and the team and it’s incredible to do what we have so far.”
On 3 game winning goals vs Tigers – “There is so much going on behind the scenes that goes on that doesn’t always get pointed out. I kinda finished off a few games but there was obviously some great play made by my teammates.”
On winning at home – “Just a solid 2 way game by our team and when you have momentum like that and obviously when your playing in your own home barn and the crowd is just phenomenal. Our fans are on fire and they just give you that support, it’s just great.”
ICE – Nathan Lieuwen
On ICE getting an early 4-1 lead – “I just had to keep my head into the game. At the end of the day my job is to stop pucks. If I keep my mind on doing that then it happens. So I just had to stay focused.”
On facing Tigers potent offense – “I know they have a lot of speed up so I gotta be set right away, have a good gap on the guys coming in. I had to read the play as they like to do a lot of backdoor plays.”
ICE – Joey Leach
On winning the series – “It’s a great feeling to able to say we are the eastern Conference Champions but there is still a lot of work to do.”
Game Summary
Kootenay wins the series 4-0.
Kootenay to play Spokane or Portland in the WHL Finals.
1st Period
1. Kootenay, Reinhart 10 (McNabb) 6:20
2. Kootenay, Reinhart (2) 11 (Antilla, McNabb) 11:18
3. Kootenay, Reinhart (3) 12 (Fraser, Antilla) 13:02
4. Medicine Hat, Tochkin 5 (Parkkonen, Busenius) 14:17
5. Kootenay, Eakin 7 (King, Ismond) 18:54
Penalties – Carr MH (hooking) :16, Hamilton MH (slashing) 1:24.
2nd Period
6. Medicine Hat, Grbavac 10 (Hamilton, Tochkin) 4:42
7. Kootenay, Eakin (2) (Rintoul, Ismond) 6:40
8. Kootenay, Reinhart (4) 13 (Fraser) 9:15
Penalties – Konan MH (high sticking) 1:31, Antilla Ktn (cross checking) 7:17.
3rd Period
9. Kootenay, Reinhart (5) 14 (Fraser, Lieuwen) 4:50
Penalties – Kessy MH (roughing, unsportsmanlike) Ismond Ktn (double roughing) McNabb Ktn (slashing) 3:14, Kessy MH (roughing, misconduct) MH Konan (fighting, misconduct) MH Etem (fighting, game misconduct) Pearce Ktn (fighting, misconduct) McNabb (fighting, game misconduct) 12:25, Grbavac MH (slashing) 18:41.
Shots on goal by
Medicine Hat – 10 - 6 – 7 = 23
Kootenay - 11 – 11 – 13 = 35
Goal (shots-saves) – Medicine Hat: Tyler Bunz (L 4-6) (15-10) Deven Dubyk (6:40 second) (20-18) Kootenay: Nathan Lieuwen (W 12-2) (23-21)
Power plays (goals-chances) – Medicine Hat: 0/2 Kootenay: 0/6
Referees – Matt Kirk, Steve Papp
Linesmen – Jeff Jobson, Scott Sharun
Attendance – 3,474