January 31 – Hawks Torched by Trailblazers in Shootout

PORT COQUITLAM, B.C. – It felt as though the dust had only just settled on Tuesday night’s clash on Clarence Taylor Crescent before the Delta Ice Hawks and Port Coquitlam Trailblazers, two clubs on two differing trajectories, were back at it in their late-season presses towards the playoffs.

The teams opted to return to their starters from the previous game: Delta with Thomas Popa, Port Coquitlam with Keiran Caughran. Port Coquitlam’s Derek Leroux benefitted from a lucky bounce, catching an errant puck and instantly ripping a shot past Popa to open the scoring. Delta’s rebuke came shortly thereafter, with the top line springing into action. Ryden Mathieson sent the puck up to Grady Lenton, who set up Mateo Sjoberg much like a setter in volleyball, setting the stage for Sjoberg to rip the puck glove-side on Caughran. As they say: don’t get mad, get even.

The Hawks built their own lead, with the groundwork set by Louie Sim catching a nice cross-ice pass and finding plenty of net to choose from to make it 2-1 for the road warriors. Delta’s awakening included some special teams and special times, as Colin Jang got down to functions and feasted on the power play. Delta, seemingly on track to run away with the period much as they did on Tuesday, had to fend off a voracious attack from the Trailblazers, who got their second goal from Lucas Baxter with help from Leroux.

Down 3-2, the Trailblazers battled their way back into the game with Leroux scoring his second of the game in the early phases of the middle period. Sjoberg opted to match Leroux’s challenge by scoring his own second helping to regain the lead. A pair of coincidental penalties, to Delta’s Brogan Kennedy for tripping and to Port Coquitlam’s Nick Ferraro-Howling for roughing, sent the game to four-on-four for the first time. Lenton and Sjoberg teamed up once again to double down on this Ice Hawks lead as the penalties expired. The Hawks and Trailblazers concluded the second period with a 5-3 Delta advantage.

The third period, at many points, felt like a pressure cooker: at some point, everything would culminate in a flashpoint moment that would seal destiny for one, but doom for the other. Perhaps, the moment the Sword of Damocles fell unshackled from above came with Delta on the penalty kill, as Lenton sat aside for holding. Port Coquitlam’s Bailey Ewonus led the charge, notching a seismic power-play goal to shift the momentum. His tally would soon be joined by an even more significant goal: Ryan Caughlan tying the game at five-all. All tied up with three minutes to go, each team got a last chance at a power play as Matthew Biros sat for hooking and later Nick Goyer on a charge of unsportsmanlike conduct. Neither team found what they needed to prevent the game from going to overtime, and the two sides prepared for extra hockey.

As time ticked down on the overtime period, and amidst a lengthy 4-on-4 stint lasting two and a half minutes after Goyer’s penalty expired, the Trailblazers believed they had sealed the deal. Braeden Wynne put a shot on net that went past Popa and hit the post, a dangerous puck that Popa was able to snag in the nick of time to deny the home team their jubilation. Not to be outdone in the goalie grapple, Caughran made a jaw-dropping stop of his own at the other end, with Sjoberg and Lenton gaining the zone and circling like vultures in the final minute of overtime. Caughran corralled Sjoberg’s initial shot, gave up the rebound to Lenton, but denied Lenton the wraparound goal that nearly ended the contest with 15 seconds left in the bonus frame. Lenton got one more chance to close it out but the clock had other ideas, as the buzzer sounded on 65 minutes of game play.

With the teams still deadlocked, the shootout was needed to decide the game. First team up to shoot was Port Coquitlam, with Biros’ shot attempt going wide. Goyer stepped up for Delta’s first shot attempt, stopped by Caughran, but drawing the ire of the Trailblazers netminder after shooting the dead puck rebound into the net. Trailblazers captain Markus Jack was next tapped to test Popa, beaten by the glove of the veteran goalie. Sim shot second for his squad, swing in close to try and pull Caughran out of position but couldn’t convert.

Ewonus drew first blood in the skills competition, going five-hole on Popa in close quarters to ramp up the pressure to unthinkable levels. Though no music was playing over the speakers of the Jon Baillie Arena, Grady Lenton’s music still managed to hum in the hearts of the Hawks hopeful as he deked to the backhand and beat Caughran to force a fourth round of shooters, playing a sonata on the violin on his way past the Port Coquitlam bench.

Baxter skated in wide before closing in on center and rifling the puck on net. Popa caught a piece of it but not enough as it squeaked past and returned the advantage to the home side. Sjoberg, of recent overtime heroics in Port Coquitlam, skated in on Caughran with the game on his stick, but the Trailblazers goalie saw it through the entire way and slammed the door shut on the Hawks’ leading scorer, sealing a 6-5 decision for the Port Coquitlam Trailblazers.

The Ice Hawks shift their focus to their final three contests before the playoffs: Sunday night in Burnaby with a highly-motivated opponent in the Grandview Steelers, a Tuesday night tune-up at home against the Port Moody Panthers, and a Saturday night showdown in White Rock against the Whalers to complete the regular season schedule. All games home and away are streamed live on FloHockey, with bonus home broadcasts courtesy of Eastlink Community TV.

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NOTABLE NOTES:

• Ice Hawks defenceman Noah Hettinga suited up for his second game of the season. The Point Roberts product last appearing on September 18th in Langley, notching a goal in that game.

• The Tom Shaw Conference standings remained unchanged after Friday’s battle; with Delta gaining some cushion over the Richmond Sockeyes to hold first, and Port Coquitlam keeping their tenuous grasp on the fifth and final playoff spot, fending off a surging Grandview Steelers. The Trailblazers were scoreboard-watching on Friday night as Grandview rattled off a 5-2 victory over the Coastal Tsunami, nipping at Port Coquitlam’s heels.

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THREE STARS

• Port Coquitlam Trailblazers goaltender Keiran Caughran earned some redemption from his outing on Tuesday, turning aside 32 of 37 shots and staying sharp in the shootout to earn the win, as well as third star.

• Port Coquitlam Trailblazers forward Lucas Baxter chipped in a goal alongside two assists, earning second star recognition.

• Port Coquitlam Trailblazers forward Derek Leroux jump-started his team’s offensive output, nabbing two goals and an assist as first star.

 

Though not officially recognized as stars in the game, Delta Ice Hawks forwards Grady Lenton (1G 2A) and Mateo Sjoberg (2G 1A) were as electric as always, each putting up a three-point night. Likewise, Thomas Popa was much better than the Trailblazers broadcast game him credit for, stopping 43 of Port Coquitlam’s 48 shots on net in the loss.

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