Tyler Lowey

WHL recap: ICE win late; Pats, Chiefs and Thunderbirds each add to their win totals as well

Regina 4 @Prince Albert 3

The Regina Pats (24-19-4-0)got two goals from Matt Bradley and one from Jesse Gabrielle to come back from a 2-1 deficit to go on to win over the Prince Albert Raiders (16-20-6-2) 4-3. The Pats have had the Raiders number this year, winning the first five-games of the season series with now four of those games being decided by one goal.

The Pats are on a roll, winning eight of their last 10 games.

Bradley and Cameron Hebig both led the way for Regina with two points apiece. Curtis Miske and Regan Nagy each had two points as well, for the Raiders.

Vojtech Budik opened the scoring in the game with a one-timer on the power play. This was his fourth goal this year.

Jake Leschshyn tied the game with only five seconds left in the opening frame. Hebig was all over a Raiders turnover and he fed a rushing Leschshyn for the latter’s 15th on the year.

Miske gave P.A. a late lead in the second with a nice wrist shot off the rush, but again the Pats answered back to tie the game late in a period.

Another Raiders turnover in their own zone came onto the stick of Logan Nijhoff and his low shot was tipped by P.A. goalie Curtis Meger by Bradley.

Bradley then scored again 5:19 into the third period to give the Pats their first lead of the game. While on the power play, he walked in from the point and wired a shot by Scott.

Gabrielle made it 4-2 on a tight angle one-timer on the power play off a feed from Sam Steel.

Jordy Stallard got the Raiders closer with a breakaway marker, but the Past would hold on for the 4-3 win.

Regina hosts Moose Jaw on Friday, while the Raiders head to Red Deer for a contest with the Rebels.

 

Kootenay 4 @Medicine Hat 3

Don’t look now, but the Kootenay ICE (20-22-3-0) are hot on the heels of the Medicine Hat Tigers (24-18-4-0) and Lethbridge Hurricanes for home-ice in the Central Division bracket. They cut the deficit to the Tigers down to nine points, with one game in hand with a 4-3 victory in Medicine Hat Wednesday.

A goal with only four seconds left gave the ICE a key win in what is surely going to be a tight Central Division race.

Defenseman Martin Bodak had two goals, while Colton Veloso and Peyton Krebs each had two assists to lead the charge for the ICE, who have now won three in-a-row. Duncan McGovern turned away 34 of 37 between the pipes in the win.

Bodak opened the scoring with a charge into the Tigers zone and a smooth wrist shot that Jordan Hollett could not catch up with. Hollett had 18 saves on only 22 Kootenay shots.

A three-goal burst for the Tigers to follow gave them a 3-1 advantage after one. First, Mark Rassell tipped home a back door feed from David Quenneville. Then James Hamblin slipped a backhand by McGovern on a three-on-two rush. Lastly, Ryan Chyzowski notched a marker from a tight angle.

Kootenay slowly got back into things with a marker from Bodak with a few minutes left in the second.

Then the ICE notched two in the third to win 4-3. Michael King finished off a two-on-one to tie the game and then Brett Davis slipped a shot through Hollett with only four seconds left in regulation to get the sole points on the night.

Seattle 7 @Prince George 4

The Seattle Thunderbirds (22-16-4-2) got two point games from seven different players on Wednesday night and defeated the Prince George Cougars (17-22-4-3) 7-4. The win completed a four-game season series sweep for the Thunderbirds and gave them two straight victories at the CN Centre. 

The Cougars have fallen eight points back of Spokane now for the final playoff spot. With only 26 games remaining for them, the playoffs may be drifting away.

Seattle, meanwhile netted 12 goals in the last two games and has showcased a lot of scoring depth.

Goalie Dorrin Luding got another win, stopping 18 of 22. Since being thrown into the starting role, he has won two straight.

Mike MacLean netted his first career, WHL goal to open the scoring, but markers from Aaron Boyd, Max Kryski and Josh Maser (power play), mixed in with a Seattle goal from Matthew Wedman gave the Cougars a 3-2 lead after 20.

The T-birds scored three straight though over the second period and first five minutes of the third to go up 5-3. Jaxan Kaluski, Sami Moilanen and Dillon Hamaliuk provided the markers.

After Jack Sander got P.G. to within one, Zack Andrusiak and Nolan Volcan found the net, giving Seattle the 7-4 win.

Taylor Gauthier fared no better vs. Seattle then Tavin Grant did the night before. He stopped 37 of 44.

Seattle now holds the third seed in the U.S. Division. They sit tied with Tri-City as each have 50 points. The first tiebreaker, which is wins is also a tie. The second tie-breaker (points earned in games between the two) is also a tie (7-7). That leaves the third tie-breaker (goal differential). Seattle is plus-two, while Tri-City is minus-two. The two play each other next in Kennewick on January 28th.

Spokane 3 Brandon 0

The Spokane Chiefs (23-19-1-2) made an under-the-radar move at the trade deadline, bringing in goalie Bailey Brkin. Safe to say it does not look under-the-radar anymore to the Brandon Wheat Kings (28-13-2-1), as Brkin blanked Brandon 3-0.

Kailer Yamamoto and Ethan McIndoe led the way for the Chiefs with two points apiece, while Brkin stopped all 21 shots he faced, for his first career shutout.

Yamamoto opened the scoring after a McIndoe hit freed up the puck to Jaret Anderon-Dolan and his shot was redirected by Brandon goalie Logan Thompson and in.

McIndoe added another goal in the first as Yamamoto slipped a pretty backhand pass to a wide open McIndoe at the back post. Thompson and the Brandon defense was looking the other way.

Milos Fafrak added a goal in the second as he spun around in traffic and beat Thompson. That would be more than enough for the flawless Brkin.

The Chiefs next do battle Saturday at home against Tri-City, while Brandon continues their U.S. Division trip with a date Friday in Kennewick.