Blazers come from behind on 'Tips

From The Daily News of Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007 . . .

The second period was more than half over and the Kamloops Blazers were two
goals in arrears to the Everett Silvertips, a team renowned throughout the WHL for its discipline
and special teams.
This one was over.
Right?
Wrong.
The Blazers, one off the hottest things on ice these days, scored the game’s
last four goals and made off with a 6-4 victory in front of an announced
Interior Savings Centre crowd of 4,203 fans who enjoyed every minute of an
old-fashioned game of firewagon hockey.
Kamloops, with the WHL’s 12th-ranked power-play unit, struck four times with
the man advantage against the team with the WHL’s best penalty killers.
Going in, Everett had given up only 19 power-play goals in 158
opportunities.
With both teams riding three-game winning streaks, the visitors seemed to
take control in the second period when they outshot their hosts 18-13 and
scores by Shane Harper, on a 5-on-3 power play, and Jonathan Harty gave them
a 4-2 lead at 9:33.
“We were completely in control of the game at 4-2,” said Everett head coach
John Becanic, whose club is 10-1-0-0 when leading after 40 minutes.
On this night, it didn’t get there with the lead.
Left-winger Shayne Wiebe, who was terrific, put a power-play shot through
goaltender Leland Irving at 15:25 and C.J. Stretch, trailing on the play,
whipped home a pass to tie it at 17:47.
“I’m certainly glad that everybody enjoyed the game,” Kamloops head coach
Greg Hawgood, who is 6-1 since taking over Nov. 7, said. “There were a few
things in the second period that might haunt me in my sleep.”
You can bet he loved the third period, though, as his boys outshot Everett
13-7 and won it on goals from Ivan (Sparky) Rohac and Tyler Shattock, both
coming on rebounds as the Blazers got pucks and bodies to the Everett net.
“That was a good game,” offered Kamloops defenceman Victor Bartley. “I love
being in those games. It shows the character of the guys, staying cool and
composed about everything . . . staying positive on the bench, that was the
biggest thing. Guys didn’t get negative and encouraged each other.”
That doesn’t seem to have been the case on the other side.
Becanic was critical of his players and the on-ice officials, who three
times penalized his side for having too many men on the ice. The Blazers
scored after two of those calls.
“We gave them the game. We handed it to them,” Becanic said, before pointing
the finger at “dumb penalties” and “questionable calls.”
“Bad by us,” he said. “But it seemed to be a little one-sided.”
Becanic thought the three too-many-men calls were close and added that there
were “three or four times” when the Blazers could have been called for the
same penalty.
“I think they felt the pressure to make the calls,” Becanic said. “(The
fans) booed the 5-on-3 call and we scored a goal. Then they called us for a
dive and then three too many men on the ice . . .
“But that doesn’t excuse our stupidity.”
Becanic also was concerned about a check delivered by Kamloops defenceman
Mike Gauthier on Everett defenceman Dane Crowley near the Blazers line in
the middle of the second period. Crowley dumped the puck and cut across the
middle, where he was drilled by Gauthier, who wasn’t penalized. Crowley left
the ice and didn’t return.
With centre Zach Dailey and right-winger Dan Gendur already out, Crowley’s
absence really stung.
“We’re not a deep enough team to be missing three of our guys,” Becanic
said. “On our power play, Gendur is our guy. We put Crowley in that spot and
he got hurt.
“It was a hit from Gauthier . . . a hit to the head. I saw him split open so
we’ll have to see the tape and see if it’s a hit to the head.”
Rohac finished with two goals for Kamloops, with Jimmy Bubnick also finding
the range. Centre Zach Hamill had Everett’s first two goals, both in the
first period.
Irving finished up with 32 saves, while Justin Leclerc of the Blazers turned
aside 28 shots, none bigger than a save he made on left-winger Clayton
Bauer’s redirect attempt at 10:34 with the score tied 4-4.
Shortly thereafter, Rohac made a fine play, beating centre Jesse Burt to a
puck in the Everett zone. That play kept things alive and, moments later,
Rohac put in what turned out to be the winning goal.
“Ivan (Sparky) Rohac . . . what else can you say?” said a smiling Bartley.
“He’s one of the hardest workers night in and night out and it’s absolutely
phenomenal to see him get rewarded the way he is.
“He’s been one of our go-to guys.”
Which isn’t quite how Becanic saw things.
“I don’t mind if we lose because we were beat by a better team,” he stated,
“but we threw it away. We never even gave ourselves a shot to win it.”
JUST NOTES: Referees Nathan Hanson and Andy Thiessen gave Everett seven of
13 minors and the lone misconduct. . . . The misconduct went to Everett LW
Kyle Beach at 19:58 of the first period for playing without a mouthguard.
After cooling his heels until midway into the second, Beach wasn’t a factor.