Tri-City shuts down ICE, wins 6-0

The Kootenay ICE dropped their second game in less than a week to the Tri-City Americans Tuesday night, this time by a score of 6-0.

Here’s a break down of the game:

FIRST PERIOD

The Tri-City Americans came out aggressive testing new ICE goaltender Bailey Brkin but the Sherwood Park, Alberta native was equal to the task early in the game.

Just under four minutes into the period, Americans’ forward Maxwell James had a great chance from in close, made a move to Brkin’s right but the ICE netminder denied him with the pad.

Kootenay’s first penalty came at the halfway mark when defenseman Martin Bodak took a cross checking minor. Tri-City would make Bodak and the ICE pay for that infraction. Sasha Mutala collected a pass near the slot and beat Brkin on the blocker side to give the home team a 1-0 lead.

Shortly after, the ICE earned a power play of their own and generated several quality chances but couldn’t get the puck past Americans’ goaltender Patrick Dea.

Brkin would make a few more big saves before the end of the period keeping the score 1-0.

The ICE finished the period 0-for-1 on the power play and 0-for-1 on the penalty kill. Tri-City outshot the ICE 11-8.

SECOND PERIOD

It was a rough second period for the ICE.

The Americans began to flex their muscles just over five minutes into the middle frame when Nolan Yaremko collected a rebound in the crease and put it behind Brkin.

Less than 30 seconds later Carson Focht positioned himself in the slot-area and tipped a point shot by Brkin to extend the Americans’ lead to 3-0.

Parker AuCoin made it 4-0 when he unleashed a quick wrist shot from the middle of the face-off circle top shelf past Brkin. That would be the last shot the ICE netminder would face as Mario Petit would enter the game.

The Americans tested Petit early, including a shot from in close just above the crease, but the defeat remained four goals for the ICE.

The Americans put home their second power play goal of the evening with 1:49 remaining in the period. A point shot from defenceman Sergi Sapego went off an ICE player in front of the net and trickled over the goal line just inside the post to extend the home team’s lead to 5-0.

The ICE finished the period 1-for-2 on the penalty kill while being outshot 13-8.

THIRD PERIOD

There was just one tally in the final frame and it came early. Americans’ defenceman Roman Kalinichenko took a pass at the bottom of the face-off circle and found room on the blocker side of Petit to make the score 6-0.

The ICE had several chances to get their first of the game thanks to a couple power plays but couldn’t get one past Dea.

The ICE finished the period 0-for-3 on the power play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. The ICE outshot Tri-City 9-7.