scamperdog
03-25-2006, 08:00 AM
By Doyle Potenteau
Saturday, March 25, 2006, 12:20 AM
http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/
Taylor Dakers was at his best Friday night. So were the Kelowna Rockets. Dakers was better.
Ryan Russell scored the game-winning goal, a tipped point-shot in double overtime, and Dakers made 40 saves as the Kootenay Ice beat the Rockets 3-2 in Western Hockey League playoff action. Had it not been for Dakers, who was simply stellar in goal for Kootenay, the game wouldn’t have gone to four periods, let alone five.
“At one point, he made a diving save with his head,” Russell said of Dakers’s heart-stopping efforts. “He kept us in the whole game and gave us a chance to win. Without him, it would have been a different story.”
Yes, it would have been, as the numbers attest. The Rockets outshot the Ice 42-19, including 15-4 in the first period, but could only put two by the 19-year-old from Langley.
“We played well all night . . . they just played a
little bit better,” said Rockets centre Kirt Hill, Kelowna’s best player on the night.
“We had lot of shots on net, and funnelled to the red zone, but it just wasn’t our night.”
Alexander Edler, who opened the game’s scoring, and Lauris Darzins, who scored with 45.8 seconds remaining on a mad scramble to force overtime, tallied for Kelowna.
Dale Mahovsky, with a power-play goal 21 seconds into a Blake Comeau double-spearing penalty late in the second period, and Curtis Billsten also scored for Kootenay, which held a 2-1 lead until Darzins
levelled the score in the third period’s final minute.
Derek Yeomans made 16 saves for the Rockets. The Ice lead the first-round series 1-0, with Game 2 of the best-of-seven series to take place tonight, 7 o’clock, in Kelowna. Games 3 and 4 take place Tuesday and Wednesday in Cranbrook.
The game’s turning point came late in the second period when Comeau was handed his double minor for spearing Ice defenceman Chad Greenan. Adam Cracknell wired a shot from the blue-line 21 seconds later, and Mahovsky managed to tip the puck past Yeomans, the puck ringing off the blocker-side post.
Kootenay’s goal proved deflating, as just four minutes earlier, the Rockets had finally broken through Dakers. Edler scored with a crisp shot from the left blue-line boards through a screen.
Notably, Comeau was also in the penalty box, for roughing, when Russell scored the game-winner
27 seconds into the fifth period.
“I’m one of older guys, and I have to lead the way,” said Comeau, whose roughing penalty was for punching Ice defenceman Dalyn Flatt at 18:52 of the first overtime frame.
“We had momentum throughout the whole game, and the only time they got momentum was on the power play.
As for Dakers, he was just happy to contribute.
“(Forty-two shots) was a lot,” he said. “But I’m not surprised. Four times (this season) they got 40 shots on us. It was good to steal one like that. Kelowna shut us down for the first two periods, and they played well. But the guys are so proud of one another for having battled through the third period. We’re ready to win at any cost.”
ICE CHIPS: Kelowna’s scratches were Tysen Dowzak (knee, one-to-three weeks), Colin Joe, Colin Long, Craig Cuthbert, Josiah Anderson and Rob Roteliuk. Kootenay’s scratches were Mike Busto and Luke Wiens. . . . Kelowna was 0-for-7 on the power play. Kootenay was 2-for-7.
Saturday, March 25, 2006, 12:20 AM
http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/
Taylor Dakers was at his best Friday night. So were the Kelowna Rockets. Dakers was better.
Ryan Russell scored the game-winning goal, a tipped point-shot in double overtime, and Dakers made 40 saves as the Kootenay Ice beat the Rockets 3-2 in Western Hockey League playoff action. Had it not been for Dakers, who was simply stellar in goal for Kootenay, the game wouldn’t have gone to four periods, let alone five.
“At one point, he made a diving save with his head,” Russell said of Dakers’s heart-stopping efforts. “He kept us in the whole game and gave us a chance to win. Without him, it would have been a different story.”
Yes, it would have been, as the numbers attest. The Rockets outshot the Ice 42-19, including 15-4 in the first period, but could only put two by the 19-year-old from Langley.
“We played well all night . . . they just played a
little bit better,” said Rockets centre Kirt Hill, Kelowna’s best player on the night.
“We had lot of shots on net, and funnelled to the red zone, but it just wasn’t our night.”
Alexander Edler, who opened the game’s scoring, and Lauris Darzins, who scored with 45.8 seconds remaining on a mad scramble to force overtime, tallied for Kelowna.
Dale Mahovsky, with a power-play goal 21 seconds into a Blake Comeau double-spearing penalty late in the second period, and Curtis Billsten also scored for Kootenay, which held a 2-1 lead until Darzins
levelled the score in the third period’s final minute.
Derek Yeomans made 16 saves for the Rockets. The Ice lead the first-round series 1-0, with Game 2 of the best-of-seven series to take place tonight, 7 o’clock, in Kelowna. Games 3 and 4 take place Tuesday and Wednesday in Cranbrook.
The game’s turning point came late in the second period when Comeau was handed his double minor for spearing Ice defenceman Chad Greenan. Adam Cracknell wired a shot from the blue-line 21 seconds later, and Mahovsky managed to tip the puck past Yeomans, the puck ringing off the blocker-side post.
Kootenay’s goal proved deflating, as just four minutes earlier, the Rockets had finally broken through Dakers. Edler scored with a crisp shot from the left blue-line boards through a screen.
Notably, Comeau was also in the penalty box, for roughing, when Russell scored the game-winner
27 seconds into the fifth period.
“I’m one of older guys, and I have to lead the way,” said Comeau, whose roughing penalty was for punching Ice defenceman Dalyn Flatt at 18:52 of the first overtime frame.
“We had momentum throughout the whole game, and the only time they got momentum was on the power play.
As for Dakers, he was just happy to contribute.
“(Forty-two shots) was a lot,” he said. “But I’m not surprised. Four times (this season) they got 40 shots on us. It was good to steal one like that. Kelowna shut us down for the first two periods, and they played well. But the guys are so proud of one another for having battled through the third period. We’re ready to win at any cost.”
ICE CHIPS: Kelowna’s scratches were Tysen Dowzak (knee, one-to-three weeks), Colin Joe, Colin Long, Craig Cuthbert, Josiah Anderson and Rob Roteliuk. Kootenay’s scratches were Mike Busto and Luke Wiens. . . . Kelowna was 0-for-7 on the power play. Kootenay was 2-for-7.