The Kootenay ICE had a tough weekend against the U.S. Division where they went 0-3.
Starting the road trip against Seattle Thunderbirds the ICE couldn’t wrangle out a win.
While the ICE lost 7-4 to the Thunderbirds, forward Peyton Krebs collected his first WHL career hat trick with Brad Ginnell receiving helpers on all three of his goals.
Rookie Michael Milne also got on the score sheet. It was his second goal of the season in the nine games he has played.
Krebs tied the game 3:41 into the third period, but it wasn’t enough. The Thunderbirds scored three goals back-to-back to secure the victory, including a hat trick by Zack Andrusiak.
Goaltender Duncan McGovern finished the night stopping 38 of 45 shots. As well the ICE went one for two on the power play, while Seattle was zero for one.
The ICE had to rebound quickly for their next games against the Everett Silvertips the next day. The Silvertips are on top of the U.S. Division with a 21-7-1 record on the season.
The offence wasn’t there for the ICE, as they were shutout — losing 3-0 to the Silvertips.
The ICE were inches away from coming out of the second period only down 1-0, but at 19:59 Bryce Kindopp scored a powerplay goal to send the Silvertips up 2-0 after two periods of play.
The Everetts added an empty net goal at the end of the third to solidify the win.
Goaltender Jesse Makaj stopped 42 of 44 shots he faced on the night, while the ICE went zero for four on the power play and the Silvertips were one for one on the powerplay.
Newly acquired forwards Austin Schellenberg and River Fahey made their ICE debut. Both players were acquired on Nov. 30 from the Red Deer Rebels.
With less than a 24-hour turnaround, the ICE headed to Portland to play the Winterhawks who were 15-10-0-2 on the season.
However, the ICE couldn’t muster up a win and were downed 10-2 by the Portland team.
It would only take 28 seconds for the Hawks to get on the board with a goal by Joachim Blichfeld. He is Portland’s leading goal scorer with 25 goals, 29 assists for 54 points on the season, and would have a hat trick by the end of the night.
The Winterhawks kept coming after the Ice with five unanswered goals, until Nolan Orzeck got the ICE on the board in the second period with an assist by Fahey, for his first point as an ICE player.
Krebs gave the ICE their second goal, late in the second period, but that’s all they saw of the back of the net.
Portland went on the score four more unanswered goals to beat the ICE.
McGovern was chased out of the net in the second period after allowing five goals on 18 shots. Makaj came in as a relief but allowed five goals on 28 shots.
Shot differential at the end of the game was 26-46 for the Winterhawks. The ICE powerplay went one for five, while Portland went four for six.
The ICE have lost nine straight games after this weekend and will look to rebound against the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Dec. 5 at Western Financial Place. Puck drop is 7 p.m.
