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The Kootenay Ice might just have their swagger back after beating the Red Deer Rebels 5-1 at the Cranbrook Rec Plex.
With the win, the lads shook off a five-game home losing skid and replaced it with memories of their 14-game win streak.
“I think this was the biggest game of the year, and to play as a team and win this one is huge,” said rookie centre Elgin Pearce, whose two-point night matched a career high.
“I think it brings all the momentum back that we had during our winning streak, and this is definitely a good point right now.”
The Ice had last won in Cranbrook on Valentine’s Day. Pearce said the team and athletes switched up some pre-game routines in an effort to turn things around.
“We said enough’s enough, and we’re not going to lose in front of our home fans anymore.”
Joey Leach helped with that, picking up four assists, also a career high. The rookie defenceman came into the game leading the team in plus-minus, and last night’s plus-five puts him 32 above even.
Kevin King had a pair of goals, and Todd Mathews stopped 23 of 24 shots for his 31st win of the season.
The 5-1 score suggests blowout, but it was a close clash befitting two teams getting ready for the post season.
“This is a playoff rehearsal and it has been like that for a while for us. I liked our game because it was a close game, and there was a lot on the line,” said head coach Mark Holick. “I thought we did a really good job of staying the course. I was proud of our guys for doing that, and we didn’t panic like we have in the last little bit. We didn’t turn pucks away, we kept it very, very simple and we were very, very structured.”
Red Deer had been first to the scoreclock, after Lane Schiedl intercepted a clearing attempt along the boards. He waltzed past a prone defender, tangoed unmolested to the net front and backhanded some other dance term top-shelf at the 10:40 mark.
“I thought the boys were pretty resilient,” said Holick. “At one point, the shots were 8-1, and we seemed to get our feet under us. Confidence is a funny thing: it can turn you one way or another.”
That early shot discrepancy was thanks in part to a penalty kill, but by period’s end Kootenay was credited with an 18-14 lead.
While Red Deer held a scoring advantage through the intermission, Kootenay didn’t wait long to take it for itself, netting a pair by the 1:06 mark.
King fired a snap shot past Darcy Kuemper 49 seconds in.
Seventeen seconds later, Max Reinhart led a rush to the left post and passed through the crease to Matt Fraser, who one-timed in his 32nd deposit of the fiscal year.
“We had 18 pucks at them (in the first) and we challenged them to throw as many pucks at Kuemper as we can,” said Holick. “He’s a good goalie: he’s big and strong and covers a lot of net. You’ve got to work to get goals past him.”
The Red Deer goalie wound up making 30 saves.
Brock Montgomery put the Ice up two early in the final frame, scoring on a breakaway that Pearce helped spring.
King scored his second into an empty net, and Pearce scored after Kuemper was put back in. He collected the rebound of a Dominik Pacovsky shot, brought it forward and tucked it behind the goalie’s foot at 18:45.
“We talked about that on the bench as soon as it happened,” said Holick. “He’s probably got one of the softer sets of hands on our team.”
It was Pearce’s third goal of the year, having scored a pair Dec. 1 in Chilliwack.
“It was great. It just adds to my confidence, and I’ll go into the next game feeling even better getting ready to play,” he said.
That next game is Friday night in Red Deer.
“I think we’ll keep this going,” said Pearce. “I think we’ve got another winning streak in us for sure.”
They could use one, particularly if they want to take luck out of the equation for holding onto fourth place and home-ice in the first round.
They wrested that spot from idle Medicine Hat last night. The Tigers have 86 points to the Ice’s 87. Red Deer, meanwhile, has 83 points.
All three clubs have two games left.
“We’d like to start (playoffs) here Friday, Saturday night and give the fans a chance to watch the extra game if we need it,” said Holick.
