Levi Cable scored four times, and Wyatt Hoflin made 51 saves as the Kootenay ICE started their post-holiday schedule with a 6-2 victory over Calgary Saturday at Western Financial Place.
The ICE raced out to a 4-0 lead through 40 minutes thanks in part to Cable's natural hat-trick, and took the first of a home-and-home set with the division rival Hitmen.
Cable got things going for Kootenay just shy of the four-minute mark with his 12th goal of the year, adding a second on an unassisted effort with 1:37 remaining in the opening frame to put the ICE ahead 2-0 after 20 minutes.
The Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan product found his hat-trick 3:10 into period two, as Cable took advantage of a turnover by Calgary netminder Mack Shields in the Hitmen zone, cutting to the net unabated to tuck home Kootenay's third goal.
Luke Philp banged home a rebound 98 seconds later to put the ICE ahead by four, chasing Shields in the process.
Kootenay started period three on a power-play, with Cable again finding the mark just 14 seconds into proceedings. His 15th goal of the year set a new personal best.
The Hitmen fired 24 shots at Hoflin in the third period though, and found the back of the net on a power-play of their own through Russian import Pavel Karnaukhov at 6:20. The shifty centre added an assist just under two minutes later, setting up defenseman Micheal Zipp on an odd-man rush to cut the ICE lead to 5-2.
Kootenay's leading scorer, Jaedon Descheneau, rounded out the scoring on a breakaway with just under five minutes left, collecting a bounce-pass from Philp before beating Calgary relief goaltender Evan Johnson for his 19th goal of the season.
Hoflin, making his 24th consecutive appearance in goal, set a new career best with his 51-save performance, while Cable finished the evening with five points.
Philp, Descheneau, and Tim Bozon each chipped in with multi-point efforts for the ICE, who won its fourth consecutive game and improved to 13-6-0-0 at Western Financial Place.
UP NEXT: Kootenay plays its next four games away from home against Central Division opponents beginning Sunday in Calgary. Game time is 4:00 pm.