WHL Tonight: Ramsay edges Gauthier in goaltending showcase as Blazers extend winning streak

 

Four one-goal games featured in a light Friday of Western Hockey League action. The lone game in the Eastern Conference saw the Medicine Hat Tigers come back from a 3-1 deficit to win against the Red Deer Rebels in a shootout. In British Columbia, Rayce Ramsay won a goaltending duo against Taylor Gauthier for the Kamloops Blazers. On the western side of the province, Shane Farkas had the hot had to stop the Lethbridge Hurricanes in their tracks on Vancouver Island. South of the 49th parallel, 2020 NHL Draft prospect Jack Finley pulled off some late-game heroics to earn two points for the Spokane Chiefs in Oregon.

Medicine Hat Tigers at Red Deer Rebels –  Scoring and Highlights

Jonathan Brinkman scored in the fourth round of the shootout as the Medicine Hat Tigers earned a 4-3 victory against the Red Deer Rebels after trailing 3-1 late in the second period.

Brett Kemp opened the scoring in the Tigers’ favour, but second-period goals by 2020 NHL Draft prospect Ben King, Jaxsen Wiebe, and Josh Tarzwell put the Rebels up by a pair. The Tigers would spark the comeback as Corson Hopwo scored late in the second and Brinkman had the lone goal of the third to force extra time.

King scored for the Rebels in the opening round of the shootout and Cole Sillinger kept his team alive in the third round before Brinkman notched the winner. Defenceman Eric Van Impe had a pair of assists for the Tigers in the win.

2020 NHL Draft prospect Garin Bjorklund stopped 29 of 32 shots through 65 minutes, then allowed just one goal on four shootout attempts to earn the win.

Prince George Cougars at Kamloops Blazers –  Scoring and Highlights

Rayce Ramsay stopped all 23 shots sent his way for the second shutout of his WHL career as the Kamloops Blazers earned a 1-0 victory against the Prince George Cougars Friday night.

Stopping eight shots in the first, five in the second, and 10 in the third, Ramsay was unbeatable in the contest.

Meanwhile, the lone source of offence came off a tricky goal from below the goal line as Matthew Seminoff put the puck on net at the right time for his second goal of the week. Quinn Schmiemann (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Orrin Centazzo picked up assists on the lone goal of the game. 

At the opposite end of the ice, Cougars goaltender Taylor Gauthier delivered a near-perfect effort, stopping 43 of 44 shots to lead his team.

Lethbridge Hurricanes at Victoria Royals –  Scoring and Highlights

A three-goal first period powered the Victoria Royals to a 3-2 win against the Lethbridge Hurricanes Friday on home ice.

Ty Yoder, Kaid Oliver, and Gary Haden all struck within an 11:53 span in the opening period to put them ahead for the rest of the game. Dylan Cozens (Buffalo Sabres) scored twice in the third for the visiting Hurricanes, but they couldn’t pull even by the final buzzer.

Shane Farkas stopped 38 of 40 shots for the victory.

Spokane Chiefs at Portland Winterhawks –  Scoring and Highlights

2020 NHL Draft prospect Jack Finley scored late in regulation and then again in overtime as the Spokane Chiefs came back to defeat the Portland Winterhawks by a 4-3 score Friday in Oregon.

The Chiefs took a 2-1 lead through 20 minutes as goals by Erik Atchison and Eli Zummack bookended a strike by 2020 NHL Draft prospect Jonas Brøndberg for the Winterhawks.

Portland pressed ahead in the second via goals from Kishaun Gervais and Lane Gilliss, but the Chiefs would find late-game magic. With the extra attacker on the ice, Finley ripped home his fourth of the season and struck for his fifth 4:05 into overtime.

Lukáš Pařík (Los Angeles Kings) stopped 36 of 39 shots for the victory.

Zummack and Gilliss each added a pair of assists to their totals for three-point efforts.