ICE CHIPS: The KOOTENAY ICE enter this week's action with a 1-1 record (0-0 at home, 1-1 on the road, 0-1 in overtime) after two games of the EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINAL against the CALGARY HITMEN...KOOTENAY finished the 2014-15 regular season with a 37-31-1-3 record (21-13-1-1 at home, 16-18-0-2 on the road, 6-1 in overtime, 3-3 in shootouts) and in fourth place in the CENTRAL DIVISION and seventh place in the new playoff wildcard standings...The ICE clinched a playoff berth for the 17th consecutive season, the longest active streak in the WHL...KOOTENAY completed the regular season with a .500 or better record for a WHL record 16th straight year.
PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE: KOOTENAY has a career playoff record of 94-74 (50-31 at home, 44-43 on the road, 24-13 in overtime)...The ICE have played in 31 playoff series in franchise history and hold an 18-13 career record...SAM REINHART (31), JAEDON DESCHENEAU (24) and LUKE PHILP (23) lead KOOTENAY in career playoff games played...REINHART leads the ICE in career playoff scoring with 27 points (8-19-27)...DESCHENEAU is second with 24 points (12-12-24)...KOOTENAY is facing CALGARY in the post-season for the fifth time in franchise history (2-2 career playoff series record)...The last playoff meeting between the ICE and HITMEN was the 2014 EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINAL won by KOOTENAY in six games.
EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINAL: Games Three (March 31 at 7:00 pm) and Four (April 1 at 7:00 pm) of the EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINAL versus CALGARY will be played in...Single game tickets are on sale at the KOOTENAY ICE OFFICE or by phone at 250-417-0322...Game Five will be played on the road April 3 at 7:00 pm.
DID YOU KNOW: KOOTENAY posted a 3-4-0-0 record versus CALGARY during the 2014-15 regular season (2-2-0-0 at home, 1-2-0-0 on the road, 1-0 in overtime)...LUKE PHILP led the ICE in scoring versus the HITMEN during the regular season with 11 points (6-5-11)...LEVI CABLE (6-2-8) and TIM BOZON (2-6-8) were second with eight points...WYATT HOFLIN was named the VAUGHN HOCKEY WHL GOALTENDER OF THE MONTH for March on March 23...HOFLIN, who set a franchise record for games played by a goaltender in one season with 67, led all WHL netminders in minutes played during the regular season with 3,848, finishing second in the League in wins (36) and saves (1,837)...RINAT VALIEV and SAM REINHART were both named to the WHL EASTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ALL-STAR TEAM March 25...LUKE PHILP finished 15th in WHL regular season scoring with a career-high 82 points (30-52-82)...ZAK ZBOROSKY and TANNER LISHCHYNSKY both recorded their first career playoff points (both assists) March 27 at CALGARY…JAEDON DESCHENEAU scored his fifth career playoff game-winning goal March 27 versus the HITMEN…Four of the five career playoff game-winning goals scored by DESCHENEAU have come against CALGARY.
ONE YEAR AGO: After Game Two of the 2014 EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINAL the ICE were 1-1, after Game Three were 1-2 and after Game Four were 2-2 versus the CALGARY HITMEN.
UPCOMING WEEK:
Tuesday, March 31 ICE vs. Calgary 7:00 pm (102.9 FM – The Drive)
Wednesday, April 1 ICE vs. Calgary 7:00 pm (102.9 FM – The Drive)
Thursday, April 2 to be determined
Friday, April 3 ICE at Calgary 7:00 pm (SHAW TV, 102.9 FM – The Drive)
Saturday, April 4 ICE vs. Calgary** 7:00 pm (102.9 FM – The Drive)
** - if necessary
WEEK IN REVIEW:
Friday, March 27 – Kootenay 4 at Calgary 3 – Record 1-0 – Attendance: 8,256
Goals:
1 - Philp (1) from Descheneau and Cable
2 - King (1) from Philp and Zborosky (PP)
3 - Philp (2) from Alfaro and Vetterl
4 - Descheneau (1) from Vetterl and Lishchynsky (SH)
Goaltender: Wyatt Hoflin (29 Saves, 3 GA)
Sunday, March 29 – Kootenay 2 at Calgary 3 (OT) – Record 1-1 – Attendance: 8,560
Goals:
1 - Reinhart (1) from Valiev and Martin (PP)
2 - Descheneau (2) from Martin and Lishchynsky
Goaltender: Wyatt Hoflin (30 Saves, 3 GA)