A combination of relentless pressure and getting the right bounces usually produces a win in a hockey game.
In the Rupert Rampage – Kitimat Ice Demons game Saturday night at the civic centre, it produced a dominating win.
Prince Rupert didn’t let up, even after going down 15 seconds into the game and came away with a 12-4 win.
The game did not start the way the Rampage wanted, as mere seconds in, Josh Slawiwa, Kitimat’s captain, scored after a Rampage breakdown in the neutral zone.
Prince Rupert would come right back three minutes later with a shot from the point from Tyler Ostrom and Tyler Halliday buried on the rebound.
Rupert kept up the pressure, as Jared Meers, with a great effort, slipped the puck past the defender’s skates in the neutral zone, went in and buried it low left making it 2-1 in quick succession.
Right after that, Devin Palmer took the puck to the net on the backhand and Cole Atchison made it 3-1 for Prince Rupert.
Brayden Horcoff’s great pass in the slot to Josh Cook enabled him to snipe the fourth goal and before Kitimat could blink they were down three.
Apparently the Rampage aren’t missing sniper Patrick Robert, who unfortunately had to leave the team due to work responsibilities.
That’s an important fact, not to lose sight of the fact that these guys put their bodies on the line (for the love of the game) and have to go to work the next day.
Jared Davis, Rampage defenceman, took a penalty towards the end of the period. That didn’t stop Horcoff from taking the puck at the opposing blue line, walking in and going shelf to make it 5-1.
Kitimat had chances and after a great save by Rupert goalie Jordan Vanderwiel, Terry Whelan pounced and made it 5-2.
The fans were treated to lots of hitting and the home team outshot the Ice Demons in the first period.
The second period started with Jean-Luc Fournier’s strong effort, just missing short side. Tyler Halliday took a penalty for interference, but the Rampage killed it.
It was some nice, fast-paced hockey throughout the period from both teams. Kory Movold was denied by the Kitimat tender after a bad give-away behind the net.
Kitimat started their comeback as Brandon Wakita scored with a bullet, top shelf from the slot after a won draw.
With Kitimat turning up the pressure, Vanderwiel made several solid pad saves, keeping it 5-3.
Palmer swayed the momentum back in Rupert’s favour with another power move to the net missing just wide. It was nice to see Cook exhibit his skill going between his own legs and centring it to the trailer, who couldn’t connect with the pass.
Cook would be penalized for slashing very soon after. Kitimat hit the post on the power-play but Prince Rupert weathered the storm and with just 0.2 seconds left in the frame, Palmer found a loose puck and snuck it in the five hole.
It was a hard-working goal as he smashed into the boards after it went in. He was OK. That made it 6-3 Rampage after two periods.
Rupert started the third shorthanded, but was able to kill off the penalty. Fournier layed out Wakita, who was trying to gain the blue line and Fournier followed that up with another crushing body check.
Cook kept up the pressure after dumping the puck in, and that led to several quality chances.
Craig Vinncav from the Ice Demons took a penalty for hooking, and Horcoff capitalized with all the time in the world in front of the net, making it 7-3.
With Kitimat’s inability to break out, thanks to the Rampage’s forecheck, they forced another turnover and Movold scored their eighth goal, going far side low on the Kitimat tender, streaking down the left wing.
After offsetting penalties to each team, Jeff Mildenberger from the Ice Demons was left alone in the slot and let a beautiful backhand go top corner making it 8-4.
Tyler Halliday answered quickly for the home team, as he was in the right spot at the right time scoring the Rampage’s ninth goal. Ostrom had a solid game on defence stepping up at the right time, and closing the gap on Kitimat’s forwards, making it very hard for them to enter the zone.
Cook and Movold scored late to make the rout official. Fournier thought he had possibly his first of the season, as he finally hit the net, but it was disallowed.
To this he commented, “Just shoot the puck and close your eyes. I don’t score very many, and it was unfortunately disallowed. Apparently there was a phantom rule of two guys in the crease means the goal will be disallowed.”
Probably not the best advice for the kids out there, but as all coaches will tell you: ‘Don’t aim the puck, shoot it’. Fournier was in good spirits as he’s a team guy and was very happy his team came away with the win.
“We have been working hard the last few games but haven’t had any success and finally that happened. Our guys worked hard, we changed up the lines a bit, and everything seemed to go our way. We got all the bounces tonight, they never got any and it worked out well for us,” said head coach Roger Atchison after the game ended.
The final tally ended 12-4 and the Rampage now face Smithers on Saturday.
