Portland, Oregon – The Kootenay ICE scored 4 powerplay goals in the 2nd period in a 7-5 win over the Portland Winterhawks, in game 2 of the WHL Finals, in WHL playoff action on Saturday.
Kevin King 2-1-3, Cody Eakin 1-2-3, Matt Fraser 2-0-2, Steele Boomer 1-0-1 and Max Reinhart 1-1-2 led the attack.
ICE led 6-1 late in the 2nd period and then it was 6-5 with 12 minutes left in the 3rd period.
Nathan Lieuwen stopped Sven Bartschi on a 2nd period penalty shot. It’s the 2nd penalty shot against the ICE in this years playoffs as Dylan Hood of Moose Jaw was stopped in the 1st round. In their history it’s the 8th playoff penalty shot against the ICE and the goalies have made 7 stops. The ICE have never had a penalty shot in the playoffs.
Matt Fraser left the game after a dangerous leg-on-leg collision with Brad Ross. Both players didn't return.
Hayden Rintoul left the game late in the 2nd period after getting hit in the head but returned in the 3rd period.
Brayden McNabb extended his point assist and point streak to 11 games. Both are Franchise Records and is the longest in the WHL this season.
Kevin King (5 games), Cody Eakin (6 games), Joe Antilla (3 games) and Hayden Rintoul (3 games) all extended their point streaks.
ICE set a Playoff Franchise Record with 25 shots on goal in a period. (24 Apr 14/00 in Swift Current)
ICE also set a Playoff Franchise Record in allowing 27 shots on goal in a period. (24 Mar 25/06 in Kelowna)
Nathan Lieuwen set a Playoff Franchise Record with 24 saves in a period.
Cody Eakin tied a Playoff Franchise record with 3 points in a period. Max Reinhart also did it vs Medicine Hat. (Andrew Bailey Apr 5/08 in Lethbridge, Martin Sagat & Adam Taylor Apr 9/05 vs Everett, Nigel Dawes March 25/03 in Kamloops, Trevor Wasyluk Mar 24/99 in Calgary)
The crowd was the biggest this season for an ICE game in the playoffs.
When the ICE played in Portland in December the attendance was below 1,700.
ICE Head Coach Kris Knoblauch was originally on the Portland protected list and then Winterhawks GM Bob Tory traded him to Red Deer. With the Edmonton ICE, Tory was the GM when he reacquired Knobluach. A few years later he was traded to Lethbridge.
Brock Montgomery, whose brother Bo spent time with Portland, attended the Winterhawks training camp 3 years ago.
Winterhawks Craig Cunningham is a native of Trail and says he grew up going to Cranbrook to watch the ICE play. He told me the players he enjoyed watching. “(Nigel) Dawes, (Dale) Mahovsky, (Tomas) Plihal, Jarret Stoll and obviously (Steve) McCarthy was a big part of that team and he’s from my hometown. It was real exciting when I was a young guy to go over to Cranbrook and get a taste of the action.”
ICE scratches – Adam Rossignol, Sam Reinhart, John Neibrandt,
Winterhawks scratches – Brett Ponich, Oliver Gabriel, Matthew Ius, Tyler Wotherspoon, Nicolas Petan, Jason Trott.
Game Summary
Series tied 1-1.
Game 3 is in Cranbrook on Tuesday.
Kootenay 1 5 1 - 7
Portland 1 1 3 - 5
1st Period-1, Kootenay, Fraser 13 5:14. 2, Portland, Leipsic 3 (Wrenn, Peters), 9:40. Penalties-McNabb Ktn (high sticking), 16:35; Leipsic Por (tripping), 19:22; Ismond Ktn (roughing), 19:33; Morrow Por (roughing), 19:33.
2nd Period-3, Kootenay, Fraser 14 (Reinhart), 6:54. 4, Kootenay, Reinhart 15 (Eakin, King), 8:47 (PP). 5, Kootenay, Eakin 9 (McNabb, Antilla), 10:15 (PP). 6, Kootenay, Boomer 3 (McNabb, Eakin), 13:04 (PP). 7, Kootenay, King 3 (Rintoul, Pearce), 14:32 (PP). 8, Portland, Bartschi 8 (Johansen), 19:19 (SH). Penalties-Rintoul Ktn (tripping), 2:40; Ross Por (roughing, tripping), 7:25; Jordan Por (major-check/behind, game misconduct), 7:48; Rutkowski Por (interference), 12:48; Eviston Por (tripping), 13:36; Hurley Ktn (roughing), 15:59; Boychuk Por (major-elbowing, game misconduct), 15:59; Wrenn Por (roughing), 15:59.
3rd Period-9, Portland, Bartschi 9 (Pouliot, Rattie), 6:12 (PP). 10, Portland, Peters 3 (Cunningham), 8:01. 11, Portland, Morrow 6 (Johansen, Niederreiter), 8:14. 12, Kootenay, King 4 19:50 (EN). Penalties-Ismond Ktn (tripping), 2:19; Ismond Ktn (slashing), 5:36; Reinhart Ktn (roughing), 7:00; Leipsic Por (roughing), 7:00.
Shots on Goal-Kootenay 10-25-8-43. Portland 9-8-27-44.
Power Play Opportunities-Kootenay 4 / 7; Portland 1 / 3.
Goalies-Kootenay, Lieuwen 13-2-1-0 (44 shots-39 saves). Portland, Carruth 13-4-1-0 (29 shots-23 saves); Hamilton 0-0-0-0 (13 shots-13 saves).
A-10,947
Referees-Matt Kirk (4), Reagan Vetter (79).
Linesmen-Justin Hull (49), Chris Sweeting (137).