Hitmen 5 Ice 4 Shootout

Jake Virtanen scored once in regulation and the lone goal of the shootout in round six giving the Calgary Hitmen a 5-4 win over the Kootenay Ice Friday night at Western Financial Place.

Greg Chase forced overtime for Calgary scoring the tying goal with just under 12 minutes remaining in the third period.

Brady Brassart and Joe Mahon also scored for Calgary while Adam Tambellini had a pair of assists for the Hitmen who built a 3-0 second period lead only to see the Ice roar back with four unanswered goals.

Luke Philp had a pair of goals for Kootenay while Jagger Dirk and Sam Reinhart added singles.  Philp also chipped in two assists to finish with four points.

The win moves Calgary into a tie with the Edmonton Oil Kings for first place in the Western Hockey League Eastern Conference at 101 points.  The Oil Kings close out the regular season with a home-and-home series against the Red Deer Rebels with games Saturday and Sunday while the Hitmen will wrap up their campaign at home tomorrow in a rematch with Kootenay.

                                                  Photo Credit:  Chris Pullen

Calgary Hitmen 5 (SO) at Kootenay Ice 4

Friday, March 14, 2014 - Western Financial Place - Cranbrook, BC 

Calgary 2 1 1 0 - 5

Kootenay 0 2 2 0 - 4

1st Period

1, Calgary, Brassart 35 (Tambellini, Virtanen), 3:35. 

2, Calgary, Mahon 9   11:58. 

Penalties-Chase Cal (tripping), 7:00.

2nd Period

3, Calgary, Virtanen 44 (Tambellini, Brassart), 8:46. 

4, Kootenay, Reinhart 35 (Dirk, Philp), 13:46. 

5, Kootenay, Philp 29 (Dirk, Reinhart), 16:52 (PP). 

Penalties-King Ktn (slashing), 1:18; Rissling Cal (major-fighting), 10:23; Martin Ktn (instigator, major-fighting, 10-minute misconduct), 10:23; Chase Cal (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 11:29; Vetterl Ktn (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 11:29; Chase Cal (high sticking, unsportsmanlike cnd.), 15:07; Harmsworth Cal (roughing), 15:46.

3rd Period

6, Kootenay, Reinhart 36 (Valiev, Philp), 6:02. 

7, Kootenay, Philp 30 (Descheneau, Reinhart), 7:43. 

8, Calgary, Chase 33 (Winther, Harmsworth), 8:16. 

Penalties-No Penalties

OT Period

No Scoring.

Penalties-No Penalties

Shootout

Calgary 1 (Tambellini NG, Padakin NG, Chase NG, Winther NG, Brassart NG, Virtanen G), 

Kootenay 0 (Philp NG, Reinhart NG, Franko NG, Descheneau NG, Alfaro NG, Valiev NG). 

Shots on Goal

Calgary 13-7-11-2-1-34. Kootenay 10-12-15-4-0-41.

Power Play Opportunities

Calgary 0 / 2; Kootenay 1 / 4.

Goalies

Calgary, Driedger 28-14-3-4 (41 shots-37 saves). Kootenay, Skapski 28-20-2-2 (16 shots-13 saves); Hoflin 10-8-0-1 (17 shots-16 saves).

A-2,443

Referees-Curtis Marouelli (86), Sean Raphael (28).

Linesmen-Jeremi Del Campo (44), Cory Lundquist (128).