WHL Roundup: Ingram perfect again as Blazers sink Oil Kings
Tuesday featured three games on the WHL schedule, including a CHL on Sportsnet tilt in Kamloops.
There, the Blazers beat up on the Edmonton Oil Kings as Connor Ingram registered his second consecutive shutout.
Up in northern B.C., the Prince George Cougars fell to the Red Deer Rebels while down in Medicine Hat it was the Moose Jaw Warriors getting the best of the Tigers.
Read along for all the rest…
Edmonton Oil Kings (0) at Kamloops Blazers (7)
Edmonton (20-35-4-1) // Kamloops (37-19-2-4)
Connor Ingram recorded his second consecutive shutout and the Kamloops Blazers put a touchdown on the board, defeating the Edmonton Oil Kings by a 7-0 margin on CHL on Sportsnet Tuesday night.
Lane Bauer scored twice against his old team, including logging the first goal of the game, which went on to stand as the deciding marker. Deven Sideroff and Collin Shirley also scored in the first period, before Ondrej Vala, Rudolfs Balcers and Bauer hit the scoresheet in the second period.
Sideroff rounded out the scoring in the third period, notching his second of the night and 33rd of the campaign.
Ingram turned aside 27 shots for his 23rd win and fifth shutout of the season.
Shirley (1G-1A), Balcers (1G-1A) Bauer (2G) and Sideroff (2G-1A) all logged multipoint nights.
The Blazers’ win coupled with a shootout loss for the Prince George Cougars means only one point now separates the two bitter rivals in their chase for the B.C. Division crown. Both Kamloops and Prince George have 10 games remaining on their respective schedules.
7-0 win for the Blazers over the Oil Kings!! Ingram with back-to-back shutouts. He now has 5 this season!!
— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) February 22, 2017
Moose Jaw Warriors (6) at Medicine Hat Tigers (3)
Moose Jaw (35-17-7-1) // Medicine Hat (42-18-1-0)
Brett Howden registered four points, including a hat trick, as the Moose Jaw Warriors doubled up the Medicine Hat Tigers by a 6-3 finale Tuesday night.
John Dahlstrom opened the scoring with his 24th of the season in the first period before Thomas Foster utilized a power play to even the affair prior to the first intermission.
Howden notched his first of the evening 3:10 into the second period after which Mason Shaw tied the game with a man advantage minutes later.
Branden Klatt and Justin Almeida secured second period tallies as well, putting the Warriors up 4-2 after 40 minutes of play.
Howden hit the back of the net for the second time in the evening only 12 seconds into the third period. From there, rookie Josh Williams deposited his first career WHL goal to make it a 5-3 game with plenty of time remaining, only to have Howden complete the hat trick with his 33rd of the season and less than five minutes remaining.
Zach Sawchenko made 19 saves for his 24th win of the season.
Usually known for his goal-scoring, Jayden Halbgewachs played the role of setup man, chipping in with two assists Tuesday evening. Yan Khomenko provided the same services, while Klatt (1G-1A) also enjoyed a multipoint night.
Matt Bradley registered two assists for the Tigers.
The win serves as Moose Jaw’s third in a row, increasing the breathing room they enjoy in second place in the East Division with an eight-point advantage on the third place Swift Current Broncos, who also own two games in hand.
. @B_Howdy21 had 3-1-4pts in Tuesday’s 6-3 win in Medicine Hat & was the Warrior of the Game pic.twitter.com/EvqoPJsCcl
— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) February 22, 2017
Red Deer Rebels (3) at Prince George Cougars (2) – SO
Red Deer (24-27-6-4) // Prince George (38-19-3-2)
The Red Deer Rebels ended an eight-game winless skid with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Prince George Cougars Tuesday night.
Brandon Hagel scored the only goal in the shootout to boost the Rebels.
Radovan Bondra opened the scoring with his 28th of the season in the first period before Jared Freadrich knotted the contest 1-1 with his sixth of the campaign, via the power play, 7:04 into the second period.
Kody McDonald replied for the Cougars late in the second period and Lane Zablocki tacked up his 21st of the season to tie the game 3:26 into the third period.
Lasse Petersen made 34 saves for his 13th win of the year.
Freadrich finished the night with a pair of points (1G-1A) for the Rebels.
The win moved Red Deer four points ahead of the Calgary Hitmen for third place in the Central Division, though the Hitmen carry three games in hand.
Petersen a difference maker as Rebels snap losing streak. Story by @GregMeachem https://t.co/7rxvW9Lo9w
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) February 22, 2017