Sunday, November 2, 2014

Kootenay 6 Lethbridge 5 OT

From Chris Wahl ...
Jaedon Descheneau scored ten seconds into overtime to lift the Kootenay ICE past the Lethbridge Hurricanes 6-5 in a wild affair at Western Financial Place Saturday.

The Hurricanes clawed back from a four-goal deficit only to surrender a tying goal in the final minute of regulation, while the ICE got goals from five different skaters to begin the month of November on a winning note.

Kootenay stormed out of the gate, outshooting Lethbridge 16-6 in the opening frame. The ICE took the lead 6:37 into the period when Levi Cable snapped home a wrist shot from the right-wing circle after a crisp cross-ice pass from linemate Austin Vetterl.

Luke Philp put the hosts up 2-0 with 4:45 left in the first period, finishing off a tic-tac-toe passing play with Rinat Valiev and Descheneau with a hard shot from the left side.

Kootenay continued their offensive outburst in the second period, too. Defenseman Rinat Valiev scored his second goal in as many games to put the ICE up 3-0 at the 5:27 mark. His one-timer caromed off the glove of Hurricanes defenseman Andrew Nielsen and past a prone Lethbridge netminder Zac Robidoux.

Bryan Allbee added a fourth Kootenay goal just under three minutes later at the tail end of an ICE power-play. The first-year defenseman patiently strode into the slot from the left point, firing a puck past Robidoux for his second goal of the season and first on home ice.

The Hurricanes stormed back in the second half of the middle frame, riding a hat-trick from 20 year-old forward Zane Jones and a single tally from captain Jamal Watson to tie the score at 4-4 at the second intermission.

Lethbridge took the lead with just over seven minutes remaining in the third period when Taylor Cooper found space on the left wing and lifted the puck over the right shoulder of Kootenay goaltender Wyatt Hoflin. It was Cooper's third goal of the season, and came on the heels of a pair of breakaway saves by Hoflin in the first period.

The Hurricanes were forced into a two-man disadvantage late in the period though after a pair of tripping minors, and with the net empty the ICE found a power-play marker with 52 seconds remaining in regulation. Cable scampered down the left wing and banked a shot off Robidoux's pad and in for his second goal of the game, and third of the weekend.

Descheneau won the game for Kootenay off the opening faceoff of overtime, as he juked around a Lethbridge defenseman before slipping the puck through Robidoux's pads for his team-leading eighth goal of the year, and second overtime winner at Western Financial Place this season.

Hoflin, who was named the ICE Player of the Month for October before the game, made 17 saves to record the victory. Robidoux stopped 31 Kootenay shots.

Four ICE players: Philp, Descheneau, Valiev and Cable finished with three points apiece. Vetterl chipped in with two assists for the second consecutive night.

UP NEXT: the ICE continue the current six-game homestand with a pair of contests next weekend. The Edmonton Oil Kings visit Friday, November 7 while the Swift Current Broncos travel to Cranbrook November 8. Both games start at 7:00 pm.