DELTA, BC – Like cooking a hearty stew on a cold December night, the game between the Delta Ice Hawks and the Chilliwack Jets started off with a slow simmer and built up to a piping-hot, action-packed affair.
Chilliwack, whose staggering 24-game winning streak was recently torched by the Ridge Meadows Flames, got themselves onto the board just past the halfway mark of the first period. Ukrainian forward Danyil Denisenko broke through first, assisted by his fellow countryman Nikita Kulikov. In response, Delta forward Grady Lenton began his incredible campaign with the first Ice Hawks goal of the night, a short-handed effort to boot. Chilliwack’s Ukrainian Line quickly regained the Jets’ lead via a power-play marker, this time scored by Mark Myronov (assisted by Denisenko and Kulikov). Lenton nabbed a power-play goal of his own to once again pull even with Chilliwack. Before the period’s end, Delta would seize their first lead of the game and never look back via Brogan Kennedy.
The lion’s share of the goal-scoring, for both clubs, occurred in the middle frame. Mateo Sjoberg, returning to the lineup after missing the previous game against Mission, notched his 29th goal of the campaign, picking up cleanly where he had left off. Notably, this would be the only Delta goal that Lenton did not factor into. Chilliwack’s Ryder Vanderkooi followed up with a power-play goal, with a swift response from Delta as Lenton set up Rajun Parmar on a beautiful play. Vanderkooi’s second goal of the game also came on a man-advantage, trailed twelve seconds later by Lenton’s hat-trick goal. Jacob Lindhout would be the next and last Jets goal-scorer to get his team within one, as Sjoberg and Lenton stoked the coals of the Ice Hawks’ offensive breakout.
On any other night, teams combining for three third-period goals would feel much more impactful. On this night however, the final period of regulation was a more muted affair on the scoreboard when compared to the five-goal first period and eight scores in the second period. Lenton continued to impose his will on the scoresheet with his fifth goal and eighth point of the night, followed by a second goal by Lindhout. The game would take an ugly detour as Chilliwack forward Peyten Legg-Cote went after Delta’s Parmar after both players left the penalty box on coincidental minor penalties, and Jets forward Easton Green was taken to task by Delta’s Ryden Mathieson. One final gasp of offensive output came in the final eleven seconds of the game as Myronov scored, but Delta had shored up enough goal support to escape with a 9-7 final score.
Delta’s next test will be next Tuesday at the Ladner Leisure Centre against the white-hot Ridge Meadows Flames.
THREE STARS
3rd: Chilliwack forward Ryder Vanderkooi (2 goals, 1 assist)
2nd: Delta forward Mateo Sjoberg (2 goals, 3 assists)
1st: Delta forward Grady Lenton (5 goals, 3 assists)
Catch the highlights here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIkhY3Wwlhg
