ICE CHIPS: The KOOTENAY ICE enter this week’s action tied at one game apiece in the best of seven WHL EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINAL vs. SWIFT CURRENT…KOOTENAY split the first two games of the series in CRANBROOK, winning 7-1 on April 6 and losing 3-1 on April 7…The loss in game two ended a nine game play-off winning streak for the ICE dating back to game two of the WHL FINAL last May vs. SPOKANE (3-2 loss).
PLAY-OFF EXPERIENCE: KOOTENAY has 450 games of WHL PLAY-OFF experience on their roster…COLE FISCHER (42 games) and BRET DECECCO (39 games) lead all ICE players in post-season action…KOOTENAY has a 24-10 career play-off record (13-4 at home, 11-6 on the road, 4-0 in overtime).…The ICE have won their last seven road play-off games dating back to game one of the EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL last April vs. CALGARY (3-2 loss)…This is the second consecutive season these two clubs have met in the EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINAL…KOOTENAY defeated SWIFT CURRENT four games to two last year (2-1 at home, 2-1 on the road).
DID YOU KNOW: BRET DECECCO has scored at least one point in all six play-off games (4-9-13 in span)…MAREK SVATOS tied a club play-off record by recording three goals in one games April 6 vs. SWIFT CURRENT (ZDENEK BLATNY – 2001 and TREVOR WASYLUK - 1999 are the only ICE players to have scored three goals in one post-season game)…DAN BLACKBURN, who leads all WHL goalies in career post-season victories with 21, is 6-1 in his last seven starts with a 1.30 goals-against average, .962 save percentage, two shutouts and 13 shutout periods…JARRET STOLL has been named the WHL EASTERN Conference DELPHI SOLUTIONS / PANASONIC Player of the Month for March (9-10-19 in nine regular season games)…KOOTENAY has successfully defended 91.7% of the opposition’s last 145 power play opportunities (allowed 12 goals against in span).
ONE YEAR AGO: After six games of the 1999-2000 WHL PLAY-OFFS the ICE were 5-1, after seven games 5-2 and after eight games 6-2.
UPCOMING WEEK:
Monday, April 9 – Practice – 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Cranbrook Recreation Complex
Tuesday, April 10 – ICE @ Swift Current – 7:30 p.m. – Game 3 – EK Radio 570 AM
Wednesday, April 11 – ICE @ Swift Current – 7:30 p.m. – Game 4 – EK Radio 570 AM
Thursday, April 12 – Practice – 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – Cranbrook Recreation Complex
Friday, April 13 – ICE vs. Swift Current – 7:00 p.m. - Game 5 – EK Radio 570 AM
Sunday, April 15 – ICE @ Swift Current – 7:00 p.m. – Game 6 – EK Radio 570 AM*
Tuesday, April 17 – ICE vs. Swift Current – 7:00 p.m. – Game 7 – EK Radio 570 AM*
* If necessary
WEEK IN REVIEW - (April 6 – April 7):
Friday, April 6 – Kootenay 7 vs. Swift Current 1 – Series 1-0 - Attendance: 3,435
Goal Scorers: Svatos (3 – 4), DeCecco (4), Fischer (3), Blatny (7), Lee (1)
Goalie: Dan Blackburn (32 Saves - 1 GA)
Saturday, April 7 – Kootenay 1 vs. Swift Current 3 – Series 1-1 - Attendance: 3,617
Goal Scorers: Johnson (1)
Goalie: Dan Blackburn (35 Saves - 2 GA – 1 ENG)
Jeff Chynoweth
Vice-President
Kootenay ICE Hockey Club
