PORT COQUITLAM, B.C. – Cohesion.
co·he·sion /kōˈhēZH(ə)n/ – the action or fact of forming a united whole.
It’s a funny word, one of those fascinating expressions of the English language. The longer you spend on certain words; the more they are said, read, analyzed, or disseminated, the more odd and curious they become until any semblance of sense melts away. Regardless, cohesion is a word that the Delta Ice Hawks need to add to their lexicon, and fast, as they experience a sea-change in their Stonehouse Cup Playoff series against the Port Coquitlam Trailblazers.
Seeking a fresh path forward, the Hawks turned to graduating goaltender Thomas Popa to lead the team into battle for Game 3 at the Jon Baillie Arena. 190 feet away, Keiran Caughran once again received the nod for the Trailblazers, victorious on Friday and emboldened in his club’s pursuit of further post-season glory. The Trailblazers struck first, with defender Tait Humphries as the first to impact the scoresheet. The contest’s first penalty was assessed to Delta’s Dawson Toledo for high-sticking, though Port Coquitlam would take themselves off the power play as Branden Pollock skated to the sin bin for interference. The first period concluded with the home team Trailblazers leading 1-0.
As has become rote in this series, the Trailblazers revelled in the second period as the tides ebbed in their favour and likewise eroded the Hawks’ confidence. 47 seconds in to the middle period, Bailey Ewonus doubled up his team’s lead. Pollock would make a return to the penalty box, this time for slashing, but Delta’s power play could not muster a challenge to Caughran. The onslaught continued, with deadline acquisition Noah Iacutone bringing Port Coquitlam’s lead up to three. Brogan Kennedy was sidelined for most of the second period on a ten minute misconduct, and Declan Warburton joined the penalty box on a tripping minor that further kneecapped the Ice Hawks’ aspirations of establishing a presence in the game. Both players would be back on the ice by the end of the second, though Trailblazers captain Markus Jack potted his sixth goal of the playoffs to make Delta’s climb back up all the more steep.
For better or worse, Popa’s night was over as the third period began. Merik Erickson skated to the blue paint to guide the Hawks the rest of the way, and what began as a glimmer of hope became a shining beacon as defenceman Dylan Stafford, positioned on the blue line, picked up a pass from Mateo Sjoberg in the corner and bombed a shot past Caughran to put Delta on the board just 25 seconds into the third. Trailblazers blueliner Braeden Wynne caught a major penalty and a game misconduct for checking from behind, and the Ice Hawks caught a major break. The Hawks’ cycle game got to work swiftly and efficiently, with Brandon Petrie wheeling around and sending the puck over to Grady Lenton on the wall. Lenton unloaded the shot, and Kennedy tipped it past Caughran just 21 seconds into the five-minute major. The final spat of special teams play came later into the period as Ice Hawks forward Beckett Cross was dispatched for roughing. Erickson made his way back to the bench as the Hawks pressed with the extra attacker, but could not beat the buzzer as the final score of 4-2 was cemented into the record books. With consecutive wins on home ice, the Port Coquitlam Trailblazers step into a 2-1 series lead, with Game 4 poised for Tuesday, February 25th at the Ladner Leisure Centre.
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NOTABLE NOTES
• Delta Ice Hawks defenceman Noah Hettinga made his playoff debut in the third game of the series. The Point Roberts product appeared in four games during the regular season, one of which was the Hawks’ January 31st shootout loss in Port Coquitlam at the hands of the same Trailblazers. In that contest, Hettinga registered a primary assist on Grady Lenton’s second period goal.
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THREE STARS
• Port Coquitlam Trailblazers defenceman Tait Humphries opened the scoring and added an assist on Noah Iacutone’s game-winning goal and was recognized as the game’s third star.
• Port Coquitlam Trailblazers goaltender Keiran Caughran repeated as second star, saving 39 of 41 shots to claim the win.
• Port Coquitlam Trailblazers forward Bailey Ewonus factored into three of his team’s four goals for first-star accolades.
As the Trailblazers once again swept the three star selections, Dylan Stafford and his shutout-breaking goal in the third period were a welcome highlight in the overall Ice Hawks effort.
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STONEHOUSE CUP PLAYOFF SERIES SCHEDULE
• Game 1 @ Delta: 7-3 W, DEL leads 1-0
• Game 2 @ Port Coquitlam: 7-4 L, series tied 1-1
• Game 3 @ Port Coquitlam: 4-2 L, PC leads 2-1
• Game 4 @ Delta: Tuesday, February 25th, 7:35 PM @ Ladner Leisure Centre
• Game 5 @ Delta: Thursday, February 27th, 8:55 PM @ Ladner Leisure Centre
• Game 6 @ Port Coquitlam: Sunday, March 2nd, 7:00 PM @ Jon Baillie Arena *
• Game 7: @ Delta: Tuesday, March 4th, 7:35 PM @ Ladner Leisure Centre *
*=If necessary
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