Cranbrook, BC – Medicine Hat goalie Tyler Bunz made 31 saves including 17 in the 2nd period in a 5-2 win over the Kootenay ICE in WHL playoff action on Friday night.
ICE opened the scoring on a 2-on-1 break created a centre by Steele Boomer who chipped the puck to Kevin King who scored on a wrist shot high on the stick side.
Tigers tied the game on rebound off a Bretton Cameron shot and was slapped into the net by Matthew Konan.
Tigers took a 2-1 lead on a long slap shot from the blueline from Jayce Coyle.
Tigers took a 3-1 lead as Kale Kessy wristed a shot high on glove side as the ICE were on a line change and got caught on a 2-on-1 break against.
ICE changed goalies at the start of the 2nd period as Nathan Lieuwen replaced Todd Mathews.
ICE scored on the powerplay to get within a goal as Dominik Pacovsky took the puck from the blueline and skated to the middle slot and scored with a wrist shot low on the glove side.
The ICE had 2 goals disallowed in the 2nd period. It was ruled Steele Boomer kicked the puck while in the crease. Then Jesse Ismond was deep in the Tigers zone and scored on a slap shot but it was ruled offside.
Matt Fraser left the game for a long stretch after he was blind sided with an elbow to the head by Cole Grbavac. No penalty was called even though Fraser was hit in the head and didn't have the puck.
Linden Vey added insurance late in the 3rd period on a 2-on-1 break and stuffed the puck through the goalies’ legs.
No penalties were called for 26 minutes until the ICE were called for back-to-back calls putting the Tigers on a long 5-on-3 powerplay. The Tigers called a timeout but failed to capitalize.
After killing off the penalties the ICE pulled the goalie and Bretton Cameron scored into an empty net from his own blueline.
ICE scratches – Jagger Dirk and Brendan Hurley.
Game 6 is Sunday in Medicine Hat.
Game Summary
Medicine Hat leads the series 3-2
1st Period
1, Kootenay, King 4 (Boomer, Martin) 1:22
2. Medicine Hat, Konan 1 (Cameron) 4:09
3. Medicine Hat, Coyle 2 (Konan, Okal) 6:35
4. Medicine Hat, Kessy 1 19:52
Penalties – Antilla Ktn (interference) 9:16, Fraser Ktn (tripping) 13:18.
2nd Period
5. Kootenay, Pacovsky 2 (Boomer, King) 4:32 pp
Penalties – Vey MH (hooking) 2:47, Isherwood MH (interference) 7:52, Cameon MH Reinhart Ktn (roughing) 8:28.
3rd Period
6. Medicine Hat, Vey 1 14:09
7. Medicine Hat, Cameron 1 17:58 en
Penalties – Reinhart Ktn (hooking) 14:30, Leach MH (slashing) 15:17, King MH (roughing) McNabb Ktn (hooking) 17:37.
Shots on goal by
Medicine Hat – 14 - 3 – 6 = 23
Kootenay - 10 – 18 – 5 = 33
Goal (shots-saves) – Medicine Hat: Tyler Bunz (W 3-2) Kootenay: Todd Mathews (14-11) (L 3-2) Nathan Lieuwen (start second) (8-7)
Power plays (goals-chances) – Medicine Hat: 0/4 Kootenay: 1/2
Referees – Derek Herman, Trevor Hanson
Linesmen – Steve Cochrane, Jim Maniago
Attendance – 2,598