CHILLIWACK, BC - Two goals in the third period broke a 1-1 tie as the Chilliwack Bruins beat the Hurricanes 3-1 Wednesday night at Prospera Centre.
After a couple of power plays for Chilliwack in the first 10 minutes of the game, the Hurricanes managed to kill both of those off and open the scoring with a power play goal of their own. Austin Fyten tapped in a back-hander at the side of the Bruins goal to give the Canes' a 1-0 lead. It's the first time Lethbridge has opened the scoring in a game in last few weeks. That was Fyten's 24th goal of the season as well and was the only goal scored for either team in opening 20 minutes of this game. The Bruins out shot the Hurricanes 6-5.
In the second, the Bruins would tie this game up near the half-way point of the period. Brandon Manning fired a point shot on a Bruins power play to even the score at 1-1. That shot beat a partially-screened Brandon Anderson in the Lethbridge goal. That would be the only scoring in the second period as both teams would head off to their respecitive dressing rooms in a 1-1 tie. The shots were 15-15 after 40 minutes of play.
In the third, both teams would push to find the game winner and with just under five minutes remaining, Jamie Crooks hammered a shot that squeaked through Anderson and that gave the Bruins their first lead of the game 2-1. The Canes' nearly tied the score a minute later, but Russ Maxwell was robbed by Lucas Gore in the Bruins goal and that would be as close as the Canes' would get. The Bruins added one into an empty net that would be it. Final score: Chilliwack 3 and Lethbridge 1. The shots favoured the Bruins 31-23 and each team went 1 for4 on the power play.
The Hurricanes remain two points back of Prince Albert for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Both teams have 8 games remaining in the regular season. This was no doubt a tough loss for this team. Wins have been hard to come by for the Hurricanes on the road this season. They have just 7 victories away from the ENMAX Centre. At home, it's been a different story. The Hurricanes are two games above the .500 mark. The road to the post-season just got a little more bumpy for Lethbridge after the loss to the Bruins. It was a pretty good game in Chilliwack Wednesday night. For the first 40 minutes, it was a fairly tight, defensive game. Neither team gave the other much to work with. I thought Chilliwack goalie Lucas Gore was the real difference maker in this game. He made some huge saves in the final minutes of the third period that really saved the game for the Bruins.
WHO IS THE THIS SEASON'S FAN FAVOURITE?
You have a chance to play a roll in who this season's fan favourite Hurricane will be. Go to www.lethbridgehurricanes.com/article/make-it-count and vote for who you feel is the 2010-2011 Hurricanes fan favourite player. Voting ends March 17th on St. Patrick's Day. Fans are encouraged to vote for their favourite and and let everyone know who on the Hurricanes Facebook page www.facebook.com/WHLHurricanes.
CARTER BANCKS STOPS BY
I had a chance before and after Wednesday's game to chat with for Hurricanes Captain and fan-favourite, Carter Bancks. He's been playing with Abbottsford Heat of the A.H.L. Bancks got off to a great start this season, but took a high hit in November and has been out with a concussion ever since. He hopes to get back in the line-up before the end of the A.H.L. season. Bancks says he really enjoyed his years in Lethbridge and says that set him up for where he is today. Bancks came by to watch his former junior team in Chilliwack. The Heat are on the road in the U.S.
NEXT UP
The Hurricanes will play game two of this B.C. road trip Friday night in Kamloops. The Canes' are 1-1 vs the Blazers this season, with both previous match-ups going into overtime. Kamloops won the last game 6-5 in overtime in Lethbridge a week and a half ago after blowing a three-goal lead twice in that game. The Blazers have been playing some real decent hockey lately. They picked up 9 out of a possible 10 points during their Alberta swing last week, with a number of key players out of the line-up with injury to boot. Game time is 8:00 pm (MST) from Interior Savings Centre. The pre-game show on CJOC at 7:30.
Thanks,
Pat
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Good effort falls short, and now that "bumpy road" to the playoffs is now looking like the Deerfoot at rush hour in heavy snow..."no movement". Canes are now faced with collecting 8 pts in 8 games just to tie PA.(I am conceding that PA will beat Reg, Cal and win both their games vs SC). Certainly anything is possible, but the odds are against the Canes.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of the odds....with the Brandon Wheat Kings 8-2 in their last 10 games and the winners of 3 straight, could they be the sleepers in the playoffs?
Nice to have the Hurricanes letting the fans vote online for their favorite player. I would bet that #7 will be either at the top of the list or very close to it.
TM
Team outcoached again.Watched last night on Shaw and the team didn't adjust to what Chilliwack was doing as the game went on.TM your numbers are off.Canes need more than 8 points in their last 8 games.They are already 2 back, based on your prediction they would need 10.PA is better coached and this so called race is over......
ReplyDeleteI'm betting on the Russian!
ReplyDeleteSo you watched the game on TV and have now decided that we were outcoached. Have you submitted your resume to the Board of Directors?
ReplyDeleteI did not know that just because you were born in Canada you now have the genetic predisposition to be a coach.
I was born in Canada,.. ergo I must be a coach by now. You know what I expect my fellow coach to figure out EVENTUALLY?-
ReplyDeleteWhen you NEED a victory in a tie game, (and even more obvious, when you are down by a goal late in the third) AND your top line is not having success, you need to play the guys(s) that have been generating scoring chances in THAT game.
Mitch MAXWELL had the puck on a string anytime he was on the ice, he just needed to be out there with some guys that could SHOOT!
Know why our PP is among the worst in the league? Teams know we have ZERO threat from the left side. Dress the right-handers (Ramsay and Kuvaev), and get the opposition confused with some one-timers from the LEFT side!
Kuvaev is a left-hand shot, but yeah I see what you're saying. If my memory is correct we only have two right-handed forwards (Sutter and Ramsay).
ReplyDeleteKuvaev is Left handed?? Really? No wonder he hasn't been playing well! The Canes have been giving him right handed sticks all season! Quick, text Preston! What is the Russian word for "LEFT?!" -
ReplyDeleteActually, I thought he was right handed because the Hurricanes web-site Roster has him listed as a Right-handed shot, not because I remember it that way. Too bad. Right handed forwards seem to be so rare! Good for you to know, 10:26pm poster, you are a much better fan than me !! - Richie.