The Cold Lake Ice will be moving on in the NEAJBHL playoffs after taking the series 4-1 against the Frog Lake T-Birds.
Having staved off elimination in Frog Lake last week, the teams returned to Energy Centre for the fifth game of the series with Cold Lake emerging with an 8-4 win.
It was a slow start for the Ice. A goal from T-Birds Suede Omeasoo gave the visiting team an early lead a little over three minutes into the game. Ice forward Christian Nypower answered that goal two minutes later off an assist from Jamie Miller tying the score at the 5:23 mark. Nine minutes in, a kneeing penalty to Ice player Curtis Witney left the home team on a penalty kill, which the T-Birds quickly took advantage of scoring their second goal of the game less than 30 seconds into the power play.
Less than two minutes into the second frame Frog Lake found themselves on another power play following a holding penalty to Ice defence Zach Zarowny. It didn't take long for the visiting T-Birds to further their lead as Brandon Cunningham sneaked the puck past Ice net minder Cody Janzen bringing the score to 3-1. Line mates Nypower and Miller kept the Ice in the game. With a nice set-up from Miller, Nypower fired the puck past the Frog Lake goalie notching his second goal of the game.
But the T-Birds weren't making things easy for the home team. An unassisted goal from forward Lonnie Dixon regained the visitor's two-point lead at the 14:30 mark. With 40 seconds left in the period, Miller found the back of the net closing the gap. Despite out shooting their opponents 30-16, the Ice headed into the third trailing by one.
“As a team we were getting a little worried because we were out shooting them but their goaltender was playing really well. He was having a game where he could have stole it for them,” said Ice head coach Paul Desjardins. “What we did (going into the third) was we went down to three lines and (assistant coach) Kevin Krook went down to four defence.”
That change worked in the Ice's favour. An unassisted goal from defenceman Josh Kohut 3:35 into the third tied up the score at 4-4. The Ice picked up their momentum and a little over four minutes later, Curtis Witney set up Nicholas Astasiewicz for the goal that would finally give the home team the lead. It only took 30 seconds for Nypower to bury the puck in the net, furthering the Ice's lead.
With less than four minutes left in the final frame. Ice defence Mackenzie Zarowny crushed any hope of a T-Bird come back netting a goal assisted by Chad Schultheiss. Only 3:27 left in the game, Mike Harbich solidified the Ice's win bringing the final score to 8-4.
Following the win Desjardins said the biggest key to the Ice's success in this series was the players' skating ability.
“I think when the boys do the game plan, actually apply the game plan, I think we're a good hockey team, we're hard to beat.”
He added that they've got to get out of the habit of playing “pond hockey”.
“When we give them two-on-ones, and three-on-twos 20 times in a game, we're not going to beat hockey teams doing that. That's the message we're trying to get across (to the players).”
The Ice will be taking on the Killam Wheat Kings in the next playoff series. The Wheat Kings ranked third in the NEAJBHL regular season with 52 points on the season, only six points behind the Ice. Killam swept their playoff series 4-0 against the Vegreville Rangers.
Desjardins believes that the Ice match up well against the Wheat Kings and said it will be an exciting series to watch.
“I feel pretty confident. It's going to be a good series; it's going to be a physical series. We've got to continue the same game plan…we're going to have to be disciplined.”
