Tory Caldwell got a shutout and the Revelstoke Grizzlies got scoring from four different players in the first game of their best of seven series against the North Okanagan Knights Monday night at the Forum.
Caldwell turned aside 39 shots for the shutout, including several big saves while his team was shorthanded for an extended period late in the game.
After an even first period highlighted by a big, open-ice hit by Dylan Rota on the Knights’ Brendan Jost, Revelstoke got on the board when Bruce Silvera one-timed home a pass from Brad Friedrich on the power play with just under two minutes to go in the period.
Revelstoke came out much stronger in the second period, dominating the play and scoring twice in the process. First, Brendan Urban scored on a great individual effort, blocking a shot at the blueline and then streaking up ice and blasting a shot past Knights’ goalie Chris Hurry.
Rota made it 3-0 with six seconds later in the period when he received a pass in the slot from Reid Blinkhorn and fired a snap shot past Hurry.
The third period saw Revelstoke increase it’s lead when Devin Gelowitz scored his first goal as a Grizzly when he tucked home the puck from the side of the net midway through the frame.
The rest of the period was marred by two questionable hits on Revelstoke players. First, with nine minutes to go, Silvera got knocked out by a high hit that went uncalled. He got up under his own power but did not play the rest of the game.
Then, less than a minute later, Jeff Mobley got hit from behind into the boards by the Knights’ Steven Pantazopoulos. Linemate Spencer Samuel jumped into fight Pantazopoulos and both players were ejected from the game and will miss Tuesday’s match. Fortunately, Mobley was not seriously injured and remained in the game.
After that, Revelstoke was forced to kill off a four minute spearing penalty to Blinkhorn, including a minute of 5-3. Caldwell came up big numerous times to preserve the shutout and the win.
The recorded attendance for the game was a measly 179. The two teams go at it again Tuesday night at the Revelstoke Forum at 7 p.m.
