The Blizzard pick up four points on a big road trip with a depleted lineup. Tonight's match was a gutty road win coming from behind in the third period with three players playing under the weather (Elmes, Chief, Kavanaugh).
Jack Petrino got the Blizzard off to a quick start just 1:07 into the first
period after solid work to get past two defenders and slide the puck between
the legs of Swan goaltender Landon Noel. After a bit of an off night last night
both Petrino and Valiquette returned to their normal fine form tonight.
The Stampeders would tie things up later in the first as Eisenberg put the
puck past Justin McDonald at the 13:51 mark.
The Blizzard who normally play a high octane offensive game slowed things
down for the first two periods today, trapping and clogging up the neutral
zone. With lots of youth in the lineup tonight and some players skating under
the weather the Blizzard simplified their game.
The Stampeders led on the shot clock 9-4 after the first period.
Jagger Thomas put the Stamps up for the first time in the game just 2:36
into the second period. The Blizzard would pour on the shots in the second
period outshooting Swan Valley 15-13 in the second frame.
With four minutes left in the second period Thomas Ward-Cardinal would
chase down a Wilson Dumais rebound and wire it home off a terrible angle for
his tenth goal of the season tying the game at 2-2.
Just two minutes later however Swan would answer back with a Kyle Smart
marker.
The turning point in the game was a Tyler Grove scrap with Landon Hiebert.
Grove who gave up a few inches and pounds in the tilt took a good right hand
hook to the chin after just one punch. The Selkirk kid stood in there and
answered back with a flurry of left handed shots in a tilt that most people in
the crowd thought was just one Hiebert punch away from being over. Grove knocked
Hiebert down and the Stampeders D-Man went down hard and re-injured his left
shoulder and would not return to the game.
The momentum would carry the Blizzard the rest of the way even though they
would enter the third period down a goal.
OCN would surge back from their 3-2 deficit after 40 minutes.
6:39 in Thomas Ward-Cardinal took a pass from Elmes at the point, walked in
a few feet to the top of the circle, faked a shot and found a trailing Kirk
Chief on the far dot who cranked home his second goal of the season into an
empty cage. Ward-Cardinal’s pass was a masterpiece through legs and sticks. It
was the first assist of his that put his trade mark vision on display since his
return from injury.
Wilson Dumais would score his tenth of the season off a turnaround shot
from the far dot, bar down on Landon Noel who also made some spectacular saves (see: Bayer, Edward). That goal would give
OCN the lead for good with under five minutes left in the third.
Justin Waskewitch would add an empty netter for his fourth goal in as many
games with the OCN Blizzard.
The Blizzard big guns were present tonight. Ward-Cardinal picked up a goal
and an assist, Dumais had a goal and two assists, Tagoona had two helpers,
Cochrane had two assists, Justin McDonald shut the door and Josh Elmes was
great even though he’s battling the flu.
Camacho Lathlin (2A) and Bryce
MacInnis (who threw a thunderous snot flying check last night) also had very
strong games tonight.
The Blizzard move to 22-8-3 on the season, 47 points and a .712 Winning %.
Garick Gray and TJ Constant are expected to make their return this weekend
as Winnipeg and Winkler both swing North.
The Blizzard played without five regulars tonight; Baptiste, TJ Constant,
Gray, Bruyere and Cardinal.
All of them are expected to play this weekend with the exception of
Baptiste.
Tagoona looked great, he’ll be a fan favourite in no time, big kid, loves
to hit, strong on the boards and is just a horse on the puck.
Now that Waskewitch has found his game it’ll be exciting to see him go head
to head with the supremely skilled players on Winnipeg.
Bryson Constant did very well in a call up role, didn’t look out of place
and made no errors. Couldn’t ask for anything more from Bubba (if anyone knows
how he got that nickname leave a comment).
Pitre Tire 3 Stars:
1. Wilson Dumais (1G, 2A)
2. Roger Tagoona (2A)
3. Ralph Cochrane (2A)
Northern Building Supply Hardest Working Player:
Josh Elmes/ Tim Kavanaugh/ Kirk Chief -- three way tie tonight as those three players battled through the flu tonight and played exceptionally well.
The Blizzard host Winnipeg on Saturday and Winkler on Sunday.
That’s it for tonight!
-Brad-
SCORING SUMMARY
PERIOD 1
OCN Blizzard at 1:07 - Jack Petrino from Grant Valiquette and Roger Tagoona
Swan Valley Stampeders at 13:51 - Mitchell Eisenberg from Colton Magwood
and Nathan Armstrong
PERIOD 2
Swan Valley Stampeders at 2:36 - Jagger Thomas from Mitchell Eisenberg
OCN Blizzard at 16:00 - Thomas Ward-Cardinal from Wilson Dumais and Camacho
Lathlin
Swan Valley Stampeders at 18:07 - Kyle Smart from Garrett Johnston and
Colin Baudry
PERIOD 3
OCN Blizzard at 6:39 - Kirk Chief from Thomas Ward-Cardinal and Camacho
Lathlin
OCN Blizzard at 15:10 - Wilson Dumais from Ralph Cochrane and Roger Tagoona
OCN Blizzard at 19:20 - Justin Waskewitch from Wilson Dumais and Ralph
Cochrane
