Ice packs were in high demand after the Steelheads’ 3-0 win over the visiting Terrace River Kings.
Five misconducts were handed out in a hard fought game between the two rivals, who split the season series by each winning at home before the run up to the playoffs. Terrace’s Chapen Leblond earned himself a gross misconduct and automatic three-game suspension after taunting the crowd and breaking his stick on the ice in the third period.
Steelheads head coach Tom deVries. said the rivalry goes back to peewee hockey for many of the players.
“This is one of the most exciting games we’ve been in this year,” said deVries.
The home side collected a few penalties of their own, having to kill off Calvin Johnson’s boarding and fighting majors in the first period. Johson received one of the game’s ejections.
“We picked the right six forwards, and the defence just did a dynamite job, to continue to go and go,” said deVries.
With the game looking at times like it might get out of hand, the coach made sure the bench did not lose control. That resulted in more powerplays for the Steelheads.
“As a coach, you’ve got to stay cool otherwise your players are going to lose it… What a coach does is be kind of a foreman, just make sure everything keeps on moving,” said deVries.
The Steelheads opened the scoring in the second with a powerplay goal from Jaden Janzen, assited by Brendan and Adam deVries. The Steelheads went ahead 2-0 with 7:35 left in the third, setting off Leblond’s tirade. Lane Perry capped the night with an empty-netter. Michael Wall earned the shutout with 38 saves, one Hasek-like on his back in the second.
