WHL Roundup: Twarynski’s trick leads Rockets over Cougars
Brandon Wheat Kings (3) at Edmonton Oil Kings (1)
Brandon (17-7-0-1) // Edmonton (5-18-2-0)
The Brandon Wheat Kings didn’t need to dig deep with a third period comeback Wednesday.
Goals from Connor Gutenberg, Evan Weinger and Kale Clague (Los Angeles Kings) scored for the Wheat Kings, while Dylan Myskiw came with 32 seconds of his first WHL shutout before settling for a 32-save effort in a 3-1 victory.
Gutenberg had the lone goal in the first and Weinger and Clague scored in the second for Brandon. Daivs Koch scored for the Oil Kings late in the game.
Travis Child stopped 20 of 23 shots in the loss.
WHEAT KINGS WIN!! WHEAT KINGS WIN!! The #BWK defeat Edmonton 3-1 and improve to 17-7-0-1. The road trip continues Friday night in Lethbridge. #GoldRush #bdnmb pic.twitter.com/13x0CpSM13
— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) November 30, 2017
Prince Albert Raiders (3) at Kootenay ICE (4) — OT
Prince Albert (10-10-4-1) // Kootenay (12-14-1-0)
Alec Baer scored 38 seconds into overtime Wednesday as the Kootenay ICE ended November on a winning note against the visiting Prince Albert Raiders.
Cameron Hausinger, Jonathan Smart and Vince Loschiavo each had a goal and an assist in the victory while Bailey Brkin made 27 saves for his second victory in a row.
Hausinger, Smart and Loschiavo all scored in the second period while Sean Montgomery and Spencer Moe responded for the Raiders to give the ICE a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes.
In the third, Parker Kelly (Ottawa Senators) netted his 13th goal of the season while short-handed to force overtime before Baer scored on a goal assisted by Smart and captain Colton Kroeker.
Ian Scott (Toronto Maple Leafs) made 17 saves while Curtis Meger made 13 more in relief.
🚨 BAER ENDS THE NIGHT WITH A BEAUTY ONLY 0:38 INTO OT🚨
Final Score: 4-3 ❄️#ICEcountry #ICEvsPA pic.twitter.com/99YU4iIRyr
— Winnipeg ICE (@WHLWpgICE) November 30, 2017
Portland Winterhawks (5) at Medicine Hat Tigers (2)
Portland (20-4-0-1) // Medicine Hat (15-10-0-0)
The Portland Winterhawks didn’t have to wait long to get back in the win column, downing the Medicine Hat Tigers 5-2 Wednesday to conclude their road trip through the Central Division.
CHL Player of the Week Cody Glass (Vegas Golden Knights) scored twice while Joachim Blichfeld (San Jose Sharks) and Manson Mannek each had a goal and an assist in the victory. Jake Gricius rounded out the Winterhawks’ scoring Wednesday, just hours after they were named to the second spot on the latest CHL Top 10 Weekly Rankings.
Max Gerlach and Gary Haden accounted for the Tigers’ two goals on the evening.
With the game tied 2-2 heading to the third, the Winterhawks took control of the game, with Blichfeld scoring the game-winner early in the period before Portland added a pair of empty-net goals.
Cole Kehler continued to shine between the pipes, making 29 saves for his 17th victory of the season as the Winterhawks also became the first Western Conference team to reach 20 wins. Jordan Hollett (Ottawa Senators) stopped 33 of 36 shots in the loss.
TONIGHT'S THREE STARS!
⭐️⭐️⭐️ @kehler298 (29 saves)
⭐️⭐️ @joachimblich (1g, 1a)
⭐️ Jordan Hollet (32 saves)— Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) November 30, 2017
Victoria Royals (2) at Swift Current Broncos (3) — OT
Victoria (18-9-2-0) // Swift Current (18-5-2-0)
The Victoria Royals learned the hard way that giving the Swift Current Broncos a chance on the power play is a bad idea.
Glenn Gawdin (Calgary Flames) scored 11 seconds into the man-advantage in overtime, giving the Broncos an 8-3-1-0 record in the month of November.
Ethan Regnier and Kole Gable scored in the opening period for the Broncos to give them a 2-0 lead. The Royals found their legs in the final 40 though, with goals coming from Jared Freadrich and Tyler Soy (Anaheim Ducks), forcing overtime.
In overtime, Soy took a penalty 2:40 into the extra period, followed 11 seconds later by Gawdin’s 20th of the season. Aleksi Heponiemi picked up his league-leading 61st points of the season with an assist on Gawdin’s goal. Defenceman Colby Sissons (New Jersey Devils) set a new career-high for points in a season with the secondary assist on the goal.
Logan Flodell stopped 35 of 37 shots in the game, earning his 16th victory of the season. Griffen Outhouse stopped 36 of 39 in the loss.
#OhMyGawdin The captain @GGawdin one times the overtime winner on #SCB power play! Broncos edge Royals 3-2! #OurTeamOurTown
— Swift Current Broncos (@SCBroncos) November 30, 2017
Seattle Thunderbirds (3) at Kamloops Blazers (4)
Seattle (11-12-2-1) // Kamloops (12-13-0-0)
In the Western Hockey League, momentum can change in a matter of seconds, a statement Jermaine Loewen proved true Wednesday.
Loewen scored with 28.7 seconds left in a 3-3 contest to lift the Kamloops Blazers over the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds, helping the Blazers stretch their winning streak to five in a row.
Sami Moilanen opened the scoring for the Thunderbirds 89 seconds into the game, but the Blazers struck for three goals in a 4:08 span, with Garrett Pilon, Carson Denomie and Ondrej Vala (Dallas Stars) all getting on the board.
Tyler Carpendale answered back for Seattle in the second with his first career WHL goal and Dillon Hamaliuk scored early in the third to even up the game. That’s how things would stand until the final minute, when Loewen broke in down the wall on a harmless rush, beat his defender and beat Dorrin Luding for the decisive goal.
Dylan Ferguson held things together for the Blazers in net with 31 saves on 34 shots. Luding finished with 31 saves of his own in the loss.
Jermaine Loewen!!! What a goal!! He gives the Blazers the lead with 28.7 seconds left in the third!! Blazers in 4-3 over Seattle!!
— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) November 30, 2017
Saskatoon Blades (2) at Spokane Chiefs (6)
Saskatoon (10-13-2-1) // Spokane (14-9-1-2)
The Spokane Chiefs continue to dominate their opponents offensively, winning a 6-2 result at home against the visiting Saskatoon Blades.
Ethan McIndoe scored twice, and four other Chiefs scored in Wednesday’s victory as they kept pace in the U.S. Division.
Kirby Dach opened the scoring for the Blades early in the first, but McIndoe responded with his two goals to give the Chiefs the lead after 40 minutes. Dach responded in the second to even up the game but the Chiefs didn’t let the tie last long, with goals from Jaret Anderson-Dolan (Los Angeles Kings) and Hudson Elynuik (Carolina Hurricanes) restoring Spokane’s lead.
Zach Fischer (Calgary Flames) and Jeff Faith added goals in the third for the Chiefs, who ended November with a 6-3-0-1 record.
Donovan Buskey made 23 saves in the victory, his third of the season. Nolan Maier stopped 32 of 38 shots sent his way in the loss.
Tonight’s Player of the Game and the first star…@ethanmcindoe!!! pic.twitter.com/reei2y6SiX
— Spokane Chiefs (@spokanechiefs) November 30, 2017
Prince George Cougars (3) at Kelowna Rockets (5)
Prince George (9-13-2-2) // Kelowna (15-8-2-1)
Carsen Twarynski (Philadelphia Flyers) scored his second hat trick of the season, including the game-winning goal, as the Kelowna Rockets marched to their 15th victory of the season at home Wednesday.
Captain Cal Foote (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Dillon Dube (Calgary Flames) each had a goal and an assist while Kyle Topping had a pair of assists in the win. James Porter turned aside 26 shots for his 11th victory of the season.
A pair of goals from Twarynski and Dube’s lone goal of the game featured in the first period as the Rockets jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Josh Curtis got one back for the Cougars midway through the second, but Twarynski’s hat trick goal and Foote’s lone goal of the game quickly turned momentum back in Kelowna’s favour.
Jared Bethune and Dennis Cholowski (Detroit Red Wings) scored late for the Cougars.
Isaiah DiLaura stopped 24 of 29 shots for the Cougars in the loss
Time expires! Rockets win 5-3! PP KEL 2/4 PG 1/6. Shots 29-29 #KELvsPG #WHLRockets #TwarHatty #W 🚀🚀 pic.twitter.com/TzE5pRBMN2
— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) November 30, 2017