Edmonton 5 Kootenay 1
The young Kootenay ICE (20-23-3-0) could be forgiven for overlooking the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings (13-26-4-2) on Friday night. They had just pulled out an exciting win on the road over the division-leading Medicine Hat Tigers and were about to have three straight games against teams currently ahead of them in the Eastern Conference.
Instead it was the last-place team in the whole WHL scoring four times in the first period and coasting to a 5-1 win in Cranbrook.
The win brought the Oil Kings out of the cellar and a point above the new bottom team in the Red Deer Rebels. Edmonton was led by two goals apiece from Brendan Semchuk and Colton Kehler and two assists from Tomas Soustal.
Brendan Semchuk started the four-goal surge with a nice wrist shot off a Kootenay turnover. Captain Colton Kehler kept things going as he stick-handled into some space in the high slot and wired a shot by ICE goalie Matt Berlin.
Kehler added his second of the period off a cross-ice feed from Trey Fix-Wolasnky and the ICE was reeling.
Not to be outdone, Semchuk notched his second of the frame himself and the Oil Kings had four markers on just seven shots in the frame. This was not quite the start with the ICE that new goalie Mat Berlin was envisioning, though the former Seattle netminder settled down to stop 11 of Edmonton’s final 12 shots for 14 saves on 19 attempts.
Sebastian Streu got the ICE on the board 4:43 into the second period, on the power play. He redirected a pass from Cameron Hausinger out of mid-air and pas Todd Scott. The new Oil King netminder was named the game’s first star as he stopped 43 off 44. This his third start with his new club, was his first win for them.
Carter Souch completed the scoring as he had a shot from Brayden Gorda bounce off him and by Berlin.
Seattle 7 Kelowna 2
There are few teams scoring more often in the WHL as of late, then the Seattle Thunderbirds (23-16-4-2). They kept the offense flowing on Friday night as they scored seven times on the visiting Kelowna Rockets (28-14-2-1) and went on to win 7-2.
Nolan Volcan netted his first career hat trick and now has seven points in his last four games for Seattle. Jarret Tyszka and Sami Moilanen each added three assists and Dorrin Luding stopped 27 of 29 for his third straight win.
The Thunderbirds jumped on the Rockets in the first with markers from Zack Andrusiak and Volcan and added another in the second from Noah Philp to make it 3-0.
After Dillon Dube cut the lead to two, Volcan and Turner Ottenbreit added two more to make things 5-1 after 40. Brodan Salmond was pulled after giving up five goals on 16 shots. Cole Tisdale came on in relief and stopped 15 of 17.
Blake Bargar netted his ninth this year to start the third and after Conner Bruggen-Cate stopped the T-birds goal fest, Volcan finished off the hat trick with 2:27 left.
After losing three straight, the T-birds have reeled off three straight wins over the B.C. Division.
Lethbridge 6 @Prince George 2
Brad Morrison was taking on the team that he played 260 career WHL games for on Friday night. He led his Lethbridge Hurricanes (22-19-4-0) over his former team, the Prince George Cougars (17-23-4-3) with a Gordie Howe hat-trick.
Morrison notched his assist 1:46 into the second period to give his Hurricanes a 2-1 lead.
He then scored just a couple minutes later and it was 4-1. Morrison completed the trifecta with a cross-checking penalty in the third period that led to a fight with Austin Crossley and a game misconduct.
Morrison saw his ice time decrease dramatically last season as the Cougars continued to add talented forwards. Due to an injury, he played a limited role in their early playoff exit at the hands of the Portland Winterhawks and the writing seemed to be on the wall spelling an end to his time in Prince George.
While the team he was traded to did not seem like a fit for the overage forward, the Hurricanes certainly do so far. With his two-point night, Morrison now has 11 points in his first six games.
Jordy Bellerive also added three goals in the win for his first hat trick this year.
Logan Flodell turned away 22 of 24 for Lethbridge, while Isaiah DeLaura stopped 13 of 16 an Taylor Gauthier gave up four goals on 13 shots.
They will now host the Swift Current Broncos on Saturday night. P.G. will head back home and take on the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
