Prince George 3 @Brandon 2
Even with the Regina Pats loading up at the trade deadline, the huge lead the Brandon Wheat Kings (28-18-3-2) had for third in the East Division seemed insurmountable. That lead is getting more surmountable everyday.
The Prince George Cougars (19-26-4-4) came in Westman Place Friday night nursing a four-game losing streak. They had been struggling through a late season East Division road trip and this seemed like a golden opportunity for Brandon to snap their eight-game losing streak.
Instead it was Ilijah Colina (two goals) and Jared Bethune (one goal and two assists) sparking the Cougars to a third-period comeback and a 3-2 win over the Wheat Kings.
Brandon’s lead over Regina is now down to four points with two games in hand.
Colina, who was acquired from the Portland Winterhawks in a trade for star defenseman Dennis Cholowski, picked up his first career multi0goal game in the win.
The Wheaties opened the scoring with the former Winterhawk they have on their own roster. He drove hard past P.G. d-man Austin Crossley and tucked a shot by Cougars goalie Isaiah DiLaura for his 24th this year.
Colina then answered in the second as he handled a bouncing rebound in his skate and while falling to the ice shoveled in his sixth this year. This came soon after he was denied with an incredible left pad save by Brandon goalie Logan Thompson.
Linden McCorrister answered by putting back a rebound of his own later in the second, putting the Wheat Kings back up by one.
After getting some big stops from DiLaura early in the third, Bethune and Colina went to work. Bethune tied the game by winning a foot race to a loose puck at center ice and beating Thompson on a breakaway.
Then Colina won the game with his seventh of the year and second of the game with only 2:23 left in regulation. Bethune worked the puck to the slot where a waiting Colina powered home a shot.
DiLaura won his first game since December 30th by stopping 28 of 30. Thompson turned away 29 of 32.
Everett 3 @Kelowna 2
The top spot in the Western Conference (at least for a night) was on the line Friday night at Prospera Place. The Everett Silvertips (33-17-1-2) came out on top over the host Kelowna Rockets (32-15-3-1) 3-2 behind another solid game from Carter Hart (29 saves on 31 shots) and a record-setting night form Patrick Bajkov.
Bajkov opened the scoring on a power play in the first period, giving him an Everett record 263 points. He took over the top spot from Zach Hamill, who played with Everett from 2003-08.
Connor Dewar netted a power play marker and Bryce Kindopp added the Silvertips third man advantage marker of the game in the third to put them up 3-0.
Kelowna had a late surge behind a marker from Kyle Topping with 11 minutes left and the 33rd this year from Carsen Twarynski with 1:26 left but they would get no closer.
Everett has now won nine of their last 11 and extends their lead in the U.S. Division over the Portland Winterhawks to five points.
Brodan Salmond turned away 24 of 27 in Kelowna’s loss.
Victoria 4 Medicine Hat 3 (OT)
The Medicine Hat Tigers (26-21-7-0) had the Victoria Royals (31-18-3-1) on the ropes late in the third period. The Tigers, who have now lost four of their last five, needed a big road win to keep their division lead in the Central at six points.
Instead Tyler Soy beat Tigers goalie Jordan Hollett with 1:19 left in regulation and Noah Gregor put a slick deke on Hollett before netting the OT winner just 51 seconds into the extra session to take the game.
The Royals scored twice to open the scoring in the second period. Matthew Phillips and Kade Jensen had the markers.
The Tigers then stormed back behind two goals from James Hamblin and one from Kristians Rubins.
That set them up with a tight one-goal lead that they would not be able to hold.
They did get one point though and hold a five point advantage over the Lethbridge Hurricanes, who won 5-2 over Swift Current on Friday.
The Royals have now won four of their last five games and sit just two points behind Kelowna for the B.C. Division lead though the Rockets have two games in hand.
Dean McNabb got his second start in three games and stopped 27 of 30. Hollett turned away 25 of 29.
Soy had three points in the game and Jensen added two.
Vancouver 4 Calgary 2
The Vancouver Giants (27-16-5-3) Ty Ronning is closing in on 50 goals. He added two more after scoring two the last time out against the visiting Calgary Hitmen (15-30-5-1) and now has 46 markers in 51 games played. The Giants would win 4-2.
While the two goals could be expected from the overage Ronning, who has 112 career goals, the two that came from 16-year-old d-man Bowen Byram were not.
The blue liner now has five career goals.
Byram opened the scoring 6:43 in as Tyler Benson drew the defense and wired a cross-ice feed to him for the back door goal.
Luke Coleman and Tristen Nielsen each scored within a span of 44 seconds later in the first and the Hitmen were holding an unexpected 2-1 lead.
Ronning then potted two in the second, both coming on the power play. His second was on a slick back door pass from Matt Barberis.
Byram added some insurance two minutes later with a hard shot from the Hitmen blue line to make it 4-2.
Brayden Watts added three assists and rookie goalie Trent Miner stopped 31 of 33 for his first career WHL win.
Nick Schneider turned away 36 of 40 for Calgary.
The Hitmen had eight power play chances and failed to score on all of them. The Giants were three-of-five on the man advantage.
