MAPLE RIDGE, B.C. – Appearances can often be deceiving, and objects in mirror may be closer than they initially appear. In the regular season, the Ridge Meadows Flames did not directly resemble the mighty juggernauts of the previous three seasons, but when it comes to playoff time, any illusions or misgivings about their compete level evaporate quickly. The Delta Ice Hawks needed a win to stay alive and force a Game 6, and they would need to earn it on the road no less. Delta’s team are a crafty bunch, who often find a way when the rest of the hockey world counts them out. They would need every ounce of battle they had left to eke this one out.
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1st Period
The Ice Hawks pressed hard throughout the first period, sending shot after shot against Ridge Meadows netminder Matthew Candusso, ultimately to no avail. Almost all of this was at 5-on-5, minus a fruitless Ridge Meadows power play chance with Brogan Kennedy sitting in the box for charging, and also minus a Hawks power play from Flames defender Jeremy Kraft’s hooking infraction. As busy as Candusso was, Hawks starting goaltender Armaan Kaila was tested with far less frequency or intensity than his Flames counterpart had been. The frame closed out with a major imbalance in the shot totals: Delta with 22, Ridge with 4.
2nd Period
The scoreless stalemate carried into the second period, as a slew of penalties sent Flame after Flame to the sin bin. Jeremy Kraft returned to the box, this time for interference. No sooner did Kraft leave the box than the arm going up for the penalty, sending Joshua Bettesworth to sit for holding. Morgan Clark would be next in the march of shame, for hooking.
The Flames broke through for the game’s first goal, scored with 3:40 left in the middle frame by Cohen Muc, unassisted for his third of the post-season.
Zack Lagrange, the leading scorer in the playoffs, made his first impact on the scoresheet with two minutes for roughing, soon after Muc’s goal.
3rd Period
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Gummy Gainz 3 Stars of the Game
- Ridge Meadows swept the three stars, with goaltender Matthew Candusso leading the way on a 52-save shutout, joined by forwards Cohen Muc and Brayden Yee. They would be named first-, second-, and third-stars, respectively.
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The Delta Ice Hawks are honoured to recognize and applaud their graduating 20-year-olds, whose junior careers concluded with this game:
- Defenceman, Cash Dumka-Jones
- Forward, Patrick Coopman
- Forward and Alternate Captain, Devun Olfert
- Forward and Past Captain, Grady Lenton
- Forward and Alternate Captain, Colin Jang
- Defenceman and Captain, Brandon Petrie
