scamperdog
03-30-2006, 06:35 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rockets back on even terms
By Doyle Potenteau
Wednesday, March 29, 2006, 12:00 AM
CRANBROOK — Justin Keller’s gain was Taylor Dakers’ pain Wednesday night.
Keller scored twice, including the game-winning goal with four minutes remaining, as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Kootenay Ice 5-4 in Western Hockey League playoff action at the Cranbrook Recplex. Thanks to their regular-season leading scorer and MVP, the Rockets evened their Western Conference quarter-final series with the Ice at two wins apiece.
“I crossed the blue-line, the puck was in the air and I just grabbed it,” Keller said of his third post-season goal, a shot from the high slot that cleanly beat Dakers in the Kootenay’s goal.
“I wanted to get a shot off before anyone could get to me and it ended up going top-glove.”
While Dakers couldn’t be faulted for failing to stop Keller’s blistering shot, the Rockets did push three soft ones by the 19-year-old, including Lauris Darzins’s slapshot that hit Dakers’s left pad and trickled in for Kelowna’s fourth goal.
Kootenay had sported leads of 2-0 — thanks to two early power-play goals — 3-2 and 4-3.
“It seemed like we’d tie, go down one, tie, then go down one,” said Keller. “We kept battling, through, even though we were getting some unlucky calls. Every goal we got gave us momentum.
“(Being down 2-0), there’s going to be adversity, whether you’re down or you’re up. It was a better effort (Wednesday) by a lot of guys.”
Blake Comeau, with a rebound Dakers failed to cover, and Tyler Myers, with his first WHL playoff goal, also scored for Kelowna.
“I didn’t think it went in at first,” said the 16-year-old from Calgary. “But then Keller put his stick in the air and I thought he got it. Then he came over and told me I got it. It was a really good game, a really close one. I’m glad we pulled through.”
Steve DaSilva, Ryan Russell, Chad Greenan and Ben Maxwell replied for Kootenay.
Kelowna hosts Game 5 of the best-of-seven series on Friday, 7 p.m. at Prospera Place. Kootenay hosts Game 6 on Sunday, with a 5 p.m. PT start.
Derek Yeomans made 29 saves for the Rockets.
Dakers turned aside 29 shots for the Ice, and the Rockets had two goals disallowed by referee Chris Savage.
“(The Darzins) goal, I stretched out and the puck hit my pad and it trickled off the post and in,” said Dakers. “I wouldn’t say it was lucky, but it was a squeaker . . . it was frustrating.
“We know playoffs are a roller-coaster of emotions. This loss hurts because we had so many chances to put it away. We were up for most of the game, but we have 48 hours to recover here and get our heads back into it. We’re going to take it hard tonight, but we’ll get back into it.”
While Dakers was down, one upbeat individual was Myers. The six-foot-six defenceman — who has grown since his arrival in Kelowna from midget 3A in Saskatchewan earlier this month — threw a wrist shot on net from the top of the left faceoff circle that apparently hit a pad and bounced in. The goal, scored at 16:37 of the first period, evened the game at two apiece.
ICE CHIPS: Kelowna’s scratches were Tysen Dowzak (knee, one-to-two weeks), Colin Joe, Cody Almond, Colin Long, Josiah Anderson and Rob Roteliuk. Kootenay’s scratches were Paul MacDonald and Luke Wiens. . . . Kelowna was
0-for-2 on the power play. Kootenay was 3-for-6. . . . The three stars were Keller, Maxwell, who had a three-point night with a goal and two assists, and Cumiskey. The Daily Courier’s three stars were Keller, Cumiskey and Russell, who also had a three-point evening for the Ice. . . . The two goals Savage waved off: Troy Bodie in the first period for being in the crease on a crease scrum, and Blake Comeau in the second period, who looked to have jammed in a rebound on the stick-side post. Savage originally called it a goal, then waved it off minutes later after consulting with his linesmen, then the goal judge.
www.KelownaDailyCourier.ca
Rockets back on even terms
By Doyle Potenteau
Wednesday, March 29, 2006, 12:00 AM
CRANBROOK — Justin Keller’s gain was Taylor Dakers’ pain Wednesday night.
Keller scored twice, including the game-winning goal with four minutes remaining, as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Kootenay Ice 5-4 in Western Hockey League playoff action at the Cranbrook Recplex. Thanks to their regular-season leading scorer and MVP, the Rockets evened their Western Conference quarter-final series with the Ice at two wins apiece.
“I crossed the blue-line, the puck was in the air and I just grabbed it,” Keller said of his third post-season goal, a shot from the high slot that cleanly beat Dakers in the Kootenay’s goal.
“I wanted to get a shot off before anyone could get to me and it ended up going top-glove.”
While Dakers couldn’t be faulted for failing to stop Keller’s blistering shot, the Rockets did push three soft ones by the 19-year-old, including Lauris Darzins’s slapshot that hit Dakers’s left pad and trickled in for Kelowna’s fourth goal.
Kootenay had sported leads of 2-0 — thanks to two early power-play goals — 3-2 and 4-3.
“It seemed like we’d tie, go down one, tie, then go down one,” said Keller. “We kept battling, through, even though we were getting some unlucky calls. Every goal we got gave us momentum.
“(Being down 2-0), there’s going to be adversity, whether you’re down or you’re up. It was a better effort (Wednesday) by a lot of guys.”
Blake Comeau, with a rebound Dakers failed to cover, and Tyler Myers, with his first WHL playoff goal, also scored for Kelowna.
“I didn’t think it went in at first,” said the 16-year-old from Calgary. “But then Keller put his stick in the air and I thought he got it. Then he came over and told me I got it. It was a really good game, a really close one. I’m glad we pulled through.”
Steve DaSilva, Ryan Russell, Chad Greenan and Ben Maxwell replied for Kootenay.
Kelowna hosts Game 5 of the best-of-seven series on Friday, 7 p.m. at Prospera Place. Kootenay hosts Game 6 on Sunday, with a 5 p.m. PT start.
Derek Yeomans made 29 saves for the Rockets.
Dakers turned aside 29 shots for the Ice, and the Rockets had two goals disallowed by referee Chris Savage.
“(The Darzins) goal, I stretched out and the puck hit my pad and it trickled off the post and in,” said Dakers. “I wouldn’t say it was lucky, but it was a squeaker . . . it was frustrating.
“We know playoffs are a roller-coaster of emotions. This loss hurts because we had so many chances to put it away. We were up for most of the game, but we have 48 hours to recover here and get our heads back into it. We’re going to take it hard tonight, but we’ll get back into it.”
While Dakers was down, one upbeat individual was Myers. The six-foot-six defenceman — who has grown since his arrival in Kelowna from midget 3A in Saskatchewan earlier this month — threw a wrist shot on net from the top of the left faceoff circle that apparently hit a pad and bounced in. The goal, scored at 16:37 of the first period, evened the game at two apiece.
ICE CHIPS: Kelowna’s scratches were Tysen Dowzak (knee, one-to-two weeks), Colin Joe, Cody Almond, Colin Long, Josiah Anderson and Rob Roteliuk. Kootenay’s scratches were Paul MacDonald and Luke Wiens. . . . Kelowna was
0-for-2 on the power play. Kootenay was 3-for-6. . . . The three stars were Keller, Maxwell, who had a three-point night with a goal and two assists, and Cumiskey. The Daily Courier’s three stars were Keller, Cumiskey and Russell, who also had a three-point evening for the Ice. . . . The two goals Savage waved off: Troy Bodie in the first period for being in the crease on a crease scrum, and Blake Comeau in the second period, who looked to have jammed in a rebound on the stick-side post. Savage originally called it a goal, then waved it off minutes later after consulting with his linesmen, then the goal judge.
www.KelownaDailyCourier.ca