LETHBRIDGE - Two third period goals helped the Calgary Hitmen erase a two-goal deficit to beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 4-3 Wednesday night at the ENMAX Centre.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes would open the scoring in this hockey game and it would be the Maxwell show in the opening 20 minutes. Just passed the mid-way point of the first period, Russell Maxwell tapped in a Jacob Berglund back-hander to give Lethbridge a 1-0. It was the young Maxwell's 5th goal of the season. Before the end of the period the Hurricanes would get another one, this time short-handed. Mitch Maxwell would pick off the puck at the Calgary line and move in all alone. He made a great move to score his 12th of the season to give Lethbridge a 2-0 lead after one period of play. The shots were even 8-8.
In the second period, the Hitmen would get another power play very early in the period and this time they would score. Cody Sylvester knocked the puck passed Brandon Anderson to cut the Hurricanes lead to 2-1. The Hurricanes would get that one back a few minutes later when Brody Sutter tipped home apass from Austin Fyten to give the Canes' a two-goal lead again, this time 3-1. It was Sutter's 5th goal of the season. That's the way the period would end. Calgary held the edge in shots on goal after 40 minutes 19-15.
In the third, the Calgary Hitmen would cut the Canes' lead once again. Justin Kirsch picked up the loose puck in front of the Hurricanes net and lifted the puck passed Anderson to make it a 3-2 game in favour of Lethbridge. The Calgary Hitmen had a number of great chances to even the score in the final period, including a short-handed opportunity 2-on-0, but Brandon Anderson stood tall in goal for the Hurricanes. Late in the period though, with less than a minute remaining and the goalie pulled, the Hitmen would tie the game at 3-3 when a point shot from Kyle Schmidt beat Anderson to even the score, sending the contest to overtime.
This would be the 14th time this season the Canes' have headed to extra time and the 20th game that the Hurricanes have played this season that has been decided by just one goal. The ovetime solved nothing as the Hurricanes killed off a penalty in the O.T. so the game would go to a shootout to settle things. The Hitmen would get the only two goals in the shootout as Calgary would complete the comeback and win the game 4-3. Calgary out shot the Hurricanes in this game 38-24. The loss drops the Canes' record to 13-19-2-7 on the season and keeps them five points out of the final playoff spot in the East. Lethbridge has just one victory in it's passed 12 games. Brandon Anderson played an excellent game, despite the loss in this game. Associate Coach Matt Kabayama said on the CJOC post-game show that Anderson really kept the Hurricanes in this game, especially in the third period when Calgary really started to come on.
CANES' POSITIVE ROLE MODELS INITIATIVE CONTINUES
A number of Hurricanes players will be at Senator Buchanan School Thursday morning as part of the Canes' Positive Roles Model Program. Brody Sutter, Brandon Anderson, Derek Ryckman, Dylan Tait, and Hurricanes Educational Advisor Jim Stewart will be at the school. The players will make a presentation and then play some floor hockey with the students.
NEXT UP
The Hurricanes and Hitmen will play round two of this three game set Friday, again in Lethbridge. The two teams will go at it one more time on Sunday afternoon in Calgary. The Canes' and Hitmen also play one more time again this season, but not until near the end when the two teams hook up one last time March 11th at the Saddledome. Game time on Friday is 7:00 (MST). The pre-game show on CJOC at 6:30.
Thanks,
Pat
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The canes came out good but a very awful third period really hurt them yet again. Russel Maxwell and Brody Sutter were the 2 best players (Anderson was good too) and yet Sutter doesn't see ice time for at least the last 3 minutes of the game nor does he step on the ice for any overtime shifts. Moser played 1 shift at best in the third then goes out in overtime and takes a penalty due to cold legs ... Great penalty kill by the Canes however. I really feel like Preston lacks the ability to coach a team and lead them in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteThe canes came out good but a very awful third period really hurt them yet again. Russel Maxwell and Brody Sutter were the 2 best players (Anderson was good too) and yet Sutter doesn't see ice time for at least the last 3 minutes of the game nor does he step on the ice for any overtime shifts. Moser played 1 shift at best in the third then goes out in overtime and takes a penalty due to cold legs ... Great penalty kill by the Canes however. I really feel like Preston lacks the ability to coach a team and lead them in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteLast night was a joke!!! The whole board and management team should be ashamed. Poor players on this team. Time to start over. Clean house, everyone involved in the day to day hockey operations needs to be relieved of their duties.
ReplyDeleteTJ
The Hurricanes problem in the past has been a tendency to plan either year-to-year or for that one "big year."
ReplyDeleteThe team has often made trades to "sneak" into the playoffs as a 7, 8, or 9 seed and lose in the first round. With a long-term contract and a plan, the team is now building for one of those Hitmen/Rebels/Ice streaks of four or five contending seasons. Rebuilding takes time. The Rebels underwent a rebuilding process and the success of it seems to be paying off this year (and probably a couple more to come).
I would much rather see an organization with a plan than what we've seen before, where the cupboard would often be left bare.
-- Dylan
I agree with Dylan...our team has a plan you can see it(if you are looking). Sure we are not winning but we still have the team that can do it. hey 14 one goal games.. Preston knows what he has and will bring to the plate this year and for the next 3 years. i really feel good about what is coming up and knowing we wont be looking for talent next year or the year after....GO CANES GO
ReplyDeleteActually, it's been 20 one-goal games for the Hurricanes. Nearly half of their games this year have been decided by just a single goal, so yes there've been a number of close nights.
ReplyDelete