When they left the ice on Monday night, there was no doubt that the Kootenay Ice had played their best game of the year.
Sure, it was January 1, but it was nevertheless a positive start to 2018. Picking up a point against the Medicine Hat Tigers, in an overtime loss, was a huge accomplishment, especially after having lost to the division rivals earlier in the season 11-1 and 4-1.
“We’ve shown [now] that we can play against every team in our division and that’s important for us,” said Ice forward Cam Hausinger after the game. “Every single time it comes to a game, we know we can win. Coming into games like these, four o’clock games, sometimes they’re hard to get up for, but I’m happy with the way we played tonight.”
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Entering the afternoon home New Year’s showdown on a five-game winning streak (all in contests against the Calgary Hitmen and Edmonton Oil Kings), the Ice knew that the Tigers would be a huge test to their new-found swagger.
Although Medicine Hat had been facing a rough patch of late (only four wins in their last 11 games), they entered the game as the top team in the Central Division, four points ahead of second-place Kootenay.
They were also carrying a nine-game winning streak in the head-to-head series, which dates back to the start of 2016-17. With more than a few blowouts in recent memory, the Cranbrook crowd had reason for concern prior to puck drop.
“They’re a good team and we struggled with them at the start of the year, but we know how we can play against them [now],” said forward Alec Baer. “I think the next time we meet up with them, it will be a different game.”
The first period was textbook for the Ice, according to head coach James Patrick, and the teams went into the intermission with a 0-0 tie. While Kootenay outshot Medicine Hat 11-8, both teams traded chances in a fast, but composed start.
“I think we played a really smart first period,” Patrick said. “We gave them very little. We knew, going in, that they are a quick transition team, feeding off other teams turning over pucks and I thought in the first period, we did a good job [of preventing that].”
In the second frame, Kootenay started to unravel and it cost them dearly. While a penalty to Ryan Jevne for checking to the head of Alec Baer almost gave the Ice their first power play, a subsequent fight by Zac Patrick evened up the situation.
A few minutes later, at the seven-minute mark, capitalizing on a man advantage of their own, Tigers’ forward Ryan Chyzowski finished off a perfect passing play to open the scoring.
Later in the period, the Ice gave up a breakaway to Tigers’ captain Mark Rassell, who made no mistake and beat Bailey Brkin with a top shelf water bottle shot.
“[After the first period], we were turning too many pucks over in the neutral zone,” said Baer. “[The Tigers] are a really patient, constructive team. They’ll capitalize if [you] make mistakes like that, and they did.”
While Brett Davis closed the gap for Kootenay early in the third period, depositing a juicy rebound in the back of the net from the bottom of the circle, the team had a terrible sequence of events near the six-minute mark.
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Getting a power play after Kristians Rubins was tagged for interference, the Ice had just about as bad of an advantage as you could imagine.
14 seconds in, James Hamblin was sprung on a partial breakaway and scored. Just over 30 seconds later, Hamblin once again put in a goal after outwaiting a sprawling Dallas Hines at the side of the Kootenay net.
“We got away from our game [and] started diving in,” Patrick said. “We gave up about six or seven, three-on-twos, where our third man dove in, dove in, dove in.
“I didn’t like some of the handles and the turnovers by our defencemen, [and] they were really costly. We gave easy opportunities [and] I just felt that we self-destructed.”
The embarrassment of letting in two shorthanded goals, however, ended up being a source of inspiration.
“I think [letting in those goals] was part of it,” Patrick said. “The [Tigers] were very quick and then, I just thought we really started moving our feet in the offensive zone.
“We spread the offensive zone out. [Colton] Kroeker’s line and Davis’s line did an outstanding job [of that].”
Still on the same power play, Kootenay finally got a goal of their own, a simple wrist shot from Jonathan Smart that was tipped in front by Baer and past Jordan Hollett.
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Moments later, the Ice were back on the prowl and Cam Hausinger extended his point streak to seven games (six goals, four assists) by finding a puck in front of the net off a faceoff and sailing it to the twine.
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A few minutes later, needing a goal to save their game, Alec Baer provided heroics as he walked in and put his own rebound past Hollett to tie the game up.
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“I think that was one of our best periods of the [season],” Baer said. “Every line was moving their feet. We just got work done for a full 20 minutes.”
Patrick agreed, saying that his team’s performance towards the end of the night was “dominant”.
“We played a great defensive period in the offensive zone [and] they couldn’t stay with us,” he said. “I was really happy with our character. We stuck with it [and] we came back. If we play that way, we can be a tough team to play against, and we’re going to win our fair share of games.”
For the fifth time in the past seven games, the Ice ended up in an overtime situation. Having beaten Calgary and Edmonton in 3-on-3 action over the past week, the team had confidence heading in.
Kroeker almost lifted his team to victory for a second straight night, but was stymied. Then, on the retaliating attack, Rubins ended the game with a strong wrist shot from the top of the circle.
While it was a disappointing finish, having now managed to pick up at least a point in their last seven games, the Ice know that they are a competitive team.
“We’re maturing [and] I think we just hate to lose,” Baer said, speaking of all the recent overtimes and one-goal decisions. “Our attitude when we go down goals, [is] not getting down on ourselves, but it’s a pissed off attitude and it’s really starting to show with our younger to older guys, [which is] helping us get back in games like this.”
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Overall, the game didn’t have too much of an impact on the standings with the Tigers improving to 21-15-2-0 for 44 points and the division lead, while the Ice have an 18-17-3-0 record with 39 points, four ahead of the third-place Lethbridge Hurricanes.
The game was the first of a busy stretch for Kootenay. On Tuesday, the Ice play the Hurricanes on the road in an important game for the standings, before heading to Swift Current for a Wednesday night game against the Broncos. The team will then complete an intense five games in six day stretch, by visiting the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday and the Saskatoon Blades on Saturday.
“It’s tough that [this busy part of the schedule is] coming over the holidays and the new year, but I told the guys, ‘you’ll have a lot of time off, moving forward, but right now, your focus has to be totally on hockey and conserving your energy when you’re not playing,'” Patrick said. “So, we’ve reiterated that message [and] I just hope the guys are really following it.”
Puck drop for tomorrow’s game in Lethbridge is at 7:00 p.m.
ICE CHIPS: Forward Brad Ginnell played his first home game with the Ice on Monday night. In three games, the recently acquired 2000-born player formerly of the Portland Winterhawks has zero points in three games. Playing on a line with Peyton Krebs and Sebastian Streu, Patrick said that he played well in the third period and has been adjusting to the new team in a positive manner every day.
Kootenay is also planning to utilize recently signed affiliate player Holden Kodak during their road trip, after having recalled him from Yale Hockey Academy Midget Prep of the CSSHL. Kodak leads the league in scoring with 60 points in 26 games this season.
GAME SUMMARY
1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Hines Ktn (slashing), 19:28.
2nd Period-1, Medicine Hat, Chyzowski 13 (Nassen, Quenneville), 7:02 (PP). 2, Medicine Hat, Rassell 32 13:26. Penalties-Jevne Mh (checking to the head, major-fighting), 5:35; Patrick Ktn (unsportsmanlike cnd., major-fighting), 5:35; Smart Ktn (holding), 6:48; Chyzowski Mh (hooking), 15:22.
3rd Period-3, Kootenay, Davis 10 (Taphorn, Patrick), 1:18. 4, Medicine Hat, Hamblin 12 (Rassell), 6:20 (SH). 5, Medicine Hat, Hamblin 13 (Rassell), 6:55 (SH). 6, Kootenay, Baer 15 (Smart), 7:18 (PP). 7, Kootenay, Hausinger 12 (Pouliot, Davis), 7:56. 8, Kootenay, Baer 16 13:43. Penalties-Rubins Mh (interference), 6:06.
OT Period-9, Medicine Hat, Rubins 3 (Haden, Gerlach), 1:54. Penalties-No Penalties
Shots on Goal-Medicine Hat 8-12-14-2-36. Kootenay 11-12-15-1-39.
Power Play Opportunities-Medicine Hat 1 / 2; Kootenay 1 / 2.
Goalies-Medicine Hat, Hollett 13-8-1-0 (39 shots-35 saves). Kootenay, Brkin 7-9-2-0 (36 shots-31 saves).
