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By Pieter Uni
The Kelowna Rockets will have to overcome a 3-1 series deficit after losing to the Tri-City Americans in the fourth game of their WHL Western Conference semifinal Wednesday night at Prospera Place.
Drew Owsley stole the show for the second night in a row, as the game’s first star made 33 saves in a contest that saw the Rockets lose 3-2 despite outshooting their opponents 35-13.
Tri-City’s Kruise Reddick scored the game winner at 11:51 of the third period and Tyler Schmidt and Brock Sutherland each added singles for the visitors, while Tyson Barrie and Brandon McMillan scored for the Rockets in a losing cause.
After the game, Rockets head coach Ryan Huska put on a brave face despite Tri-City grabbing a stranglehold on the series.
“It is a tough one because I thought we put ourselves in a pretty good position,” said Huska. “We played a good game defensively, we limited their speed and I thought we were competing much harder at the other end of the ice tonight too. We just didn’t capitalize when we needed to at the end.”
The Rockets had plenty of opportunities to blow the game wide open thanks to six power play opportunities, but an inability to convert with the man advantage proved to be costly. Kelowna failed to score on four chances in the first and on a late power play in the third period.
“Our power play wasn’t sharp like it needed to be tonight,” said Huska. “You do rely, at this time of year, on your special teams. Tri-City did a good job of pressuring our defensemen up top, but we have to be able to respond and score goals.”
Kelowna finished 1-for-6 on the power play, while the Americans were 1-for-3.
Hoping to level their Western Conference semifinal at two games apiece, Kelowna got of to the best of start when Brendan McMillan drew a power play 1:27 into the game.
Struggling to get organized, the Rockets wasted the early chance and Schmidt and the Americans made the home team pay.
After only five minutes, Schmidt tapped in a terrific cross-crease pass from Patrick Holland to stun the Kelowna crowd.
The Rockets did their best to draw even and Tyson Barrie almost tied the game midway through the period, but Owsley made a dazzling glove save to keep his Americans ahead by one.
After the game, Huska spoke about Owsley’s strong play through four games.
“He is a good goaltender,” said Huska. “He played well and we are going to have to keep working to get more traffic in front of him and make sure that his night is difficult by getting to the net every time we can.”
McMillan also had a terrific opportunity to draw his side level, but his shot slid under Owsley’s pads, through the crease and out the other side. The Rockets continued to pressure and were awarded a penalty shot after Max Adolph was hauled down, but the Kelowna forward couldn’t convert, missing the net on the play.
Kelowna looked to grab momentum in the second period, and the home evened the score at 9:18 of the second stanza, thanks to a booming shot off the stick of Tyson Barrie. The goal was the first time Owsley had been beaten since Lucas Bloodoff scored at the 6:18 mark of game two and ended his shutout streak at 113 minutes. The goal also ended Kelowna’s scoring drought at 90:03.
Barrie converted on Kelowna’s fifth power pay of the night and the goal seemed to reinvigorate both his team and the crowd, though the jubilation lasted only 18 seconds.
As the crowd buzzed following Barrie’s third goal of the playoffs, Tri-City restored their lead when Sutherland silenced the 5,368 fans at Prospera Place with a low shot that beat Mark Guggenberger.
The third saw the Rockets push hard for the tie and the team was rewarded midway through the period when McMillan collected his third of the playoffs after Lucas Bloodoff’s initial shot sailed wide of the net before bouncing onto the stick of McMillan, who tucked the puck past a sprawling Owsley.
Unfortunately for the Rockets, Dallas Jackson’s hooking penalty moments later cost the home team as Reddick fired in his fifth of the playoffs past a screened Guggenberger. Guggenberger finished the night with 11 saves on 13 shots.
The Rockets had a late chance to level the score a three’s but couldn’t find the back of the net, giving the Americans a 3-2 win and a 3-1 lead in the series.
Despite the loss, the Rockets aren’t giving up.
“We still have hope in here,” said Brandon McMillan. “We are going to have to go down there and play hard.”
Kelowna will be back in action Friday, when Tri-City host the Rockets in game five.
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Tags: Kelowna Rockets, tri-city americans, whl
