iSight Optometry Recap: Szturc’s overtime goal downs WHL’s top team

iSight Optometry Recap: Szturc’s overtime goal downs WHL’s top team

Playing their fourth game in five nights, the Kelowna Rockets wrapped up their East Division road trip with a 5-4 overtime victory over the Saskatoon Blades.

The Blades, who entered Saturday as the WHL’s top team with a record of 23-8-2-0, had Friday night off before the Rockets rolled into town for tonight’s game.

With the Blades leading 4-3 late in the game, Czechia players Marek Rocak and Gabriel Szturc came in clutch for Kelowna. Rocak tied the game with seconds to play in regulation, while Rockets captain Szturc secured the win in extra time.

HIGHLIGHTS | BOXSCORE

GAME SUMMARY

On their first shot of the game, 7:17 into the first period, Egor Sidorov (31) put the Blades on the board first with a one-timer from the low slot. Luke Schelter (5) responded at 10:39, batting the puck out of midair past Blades starter Austin Elliott. Exactly one minute later, Saskatoon product Caden Price‘s (4) shot from the left faceoff dot put the Rockets ahead. While shorthanded, Andrew Cristall from the right faceoff circle fed it over to Tij Iginla (25) in the left circle to push Kelowna out to a two-goal lead at 16:16. With captain Gabriel Szturc sitting in the penalty box, Sidorov (32) was able to pull the Blades back within one in the final seconds of the opening frame.

Brandon Lisowsky (18) skated from the top of the left faceoff circle to the right, cutting down to the low point of the circle he fired a shot that beat Jari Kykkanen glove side at 14:05 to tie the game with the lone goal of the second period.

With 5:15 to go in regulation, Gabriel Szturc drew the Rockets first power play of the game after Ben Saunderson was called for hooking. On the ensuing power play, the Rockets kept their top players on the ice from when the penalty was called. Shorthanded, Trevor Wong then took off on a two-on-one with Tyler Parr (3), Kykkanen got a piece of Parr’s shot but it had just enough power to trickle over the goal line and give the Blades the lead at 15:39. With the Rockets trailing, Trae Johnson was called for hitting from behind that forced the Rockets to kill off a penalty late in the third period. After successfully killing off the penalty, the Rockets pulled Jari Kykkanen and pressed in the final seconds of the game. Luke Schelter battled with a Blade as the puck slid into the right corner, the puck then made its way behind to the side of the net where Andrew Cristall fed it to Marek Rocak (6) at the right faceoff dot to tie the game with 13 seconds to go in regulation.

In overtime Gabriel Szturc‘s (14) initial shot from the slot was blocked, but he recovered it in the Blades ends and skated along the point to the top of the left faceoff circle, beating Elliot high glove side 1:18 into overtime.