WHL Tonight: Byram’s overtime strike lifts Giants over Royals

 

Western Hockey League Three Stars: Sunday, February 24, 2019

1. Justin Almeida, Moose Jaw Warriors: Pittsburgh Penguins prospect and Moose Jaw Warriors forward Justin Almeida recorded a goal and four points Sunday in the Warriors’ 5-1 victory against the Kootenay ICE. Almeida scored his team’s fourth goal, assisting on their second, third, and fifth goals.

The Kitimat, B.C. product has risen up the WHL scoring charts to sit fifth in league scoring with 87 points (25G-62A) in 54 games. In 246 WHL regular season games, Almeida has 219 points (81G-138A).

2. Tristin Langan, Moose Jaw Warriors: Moose Jaw Warriors forward Tristin Langan scored once as part of a three-point night Sunday in a 5-1 win against the Kootenay ICE. Langan scored the Warriors’ third goal of the game, adding assists on the team’s second and fourth goals.

The Swan River, Man. product is still second in WHL scoring with 96 points (45G-51A) in 57 games this season. For his WHL career, Langan has 167 points (70G-97A) in 231 WHL regular season games.

3. Bowen Byram, Vancouver Giants: 2019 NHL Draft prospect Bowen Byram of the Vancouver Giants scored 59 seconds into overtime Sunday, lifting his team to a 2-1 win on Vancouver Island against the Victoria Royals. His seventh game-winning goal of the season, Byram is tied for 10th in the WHL for that statistic. Byram leads all WHL defencemen with seven game-winning goals while his four overtime goals also lead all WHL rear guards.

The Cranbrook, B.C. product ranks fourth in WHL defensive scoring with 59 points (22G-37A) through 59 games. For his WHL career, Byram has 86 points (28G-58A) in 130 WHL regular season games.

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Kootenay ICE 1 at Moose Jaw Warriors 5

Justin Almeida (Pittsburgh Penguins) recorded a goal and three assists while Tristin Langan and 2019 NHL Draft prospect Brayden Tracey recorded three points games in a 5-1 drubbing of the Kootenay ICE Sunday.

The Warriors opened the scoring 10:26 into the first as Tate Popple collected a turnover in the neutral zone, brought it into the zone and fed it across to Keenan Taphorn who had a perfect strike for the game-opening goal. With 3:33 to go in the opening period, Tracey was the beneficiary of a nice passing sequence, taking a final feed from down low by Langan to double the Warriors’ lead heading into the intermission.

Langan increased the lead to three in the second with his 45th of the season. A pass from captain Josh Brook (Montreal Canadiens) brought the puck up to Almeida in the neutral zone, who sprung Langan on a breakaway with a perfect pass and eventual goal.

The lead would become four midway through the third as a shot from Tracey missed the net, but took a perfect bounce to Almeida, who made no mistake on in burying the puck into the exposed net.

Striking back for a goal with 7:42 to go in regulation, Owen Pederson pounced on a rebound as Brodan Salmond made the initial save, but couldn’t stop the second opportunity that followed immediately.

Popple would close out the win in the final minute of regulation, jamming the puck past Curtis Meger for the 5-1 goal.

Salmond finished with 26 saves on 27 shots for the win, his 18th of the season.

Vancouver Giants 2 at Victoria Royals 1 (OT) 

2019 NHL Draft prospect Bowen Byram scored 59 seconds into overtime Sunday, sending the B.C. Division Champions to a 2-1 win against the Victoria Royals and a five-point weekend against the second-place team in their division.

Justin Sourdif got the scoring started with his 19th of the season. Davis Koch controlled the puck at the blue line on the power play and fed it into the left slot to Milos Roman (Calgary Flames). While the attention was on the pair of offensive stars, Roman found Sourdif down at the net all alone where the rookie would pot home the opening goal.

The next goal would come late in regulation as the Royals pressed for the equalizing goal. On the power play with four minutes to go in the game, Kody McDonald found Phillip Schultz right next to the face-off dot to the right of 2019 NHL Draft prospect Trent Miner. Schultz would waste little time in burying his 15th of the season, sending the game into extra time for a second-straight night.

Byram and the Giants would have the upper hand though. An aware pass from Miner created a three-on-one for the Giants. As Koch controlled the puck, his first pass attempt was blocked, but he managed to get his stick on a second opportunity, passing it directly to a trailing Byram who deposited the game-winning goal.

Miner stopped 25 of 26 shots in the win. Brock Gould turned aside 28 of 30 shots in the overtime defeat.

Koch would contribute a pair of assists while captain Jared Dmytriw and Roman each had a single helper. McDonald and Scott Walford (Montreal Canadiens) had the helpers for Victoria Sunday.