Stampeders edge Houston Luckies, in CIHL playoff action while River Kings win in O/T over Steelheads

The second season of hockey activity, the CIHL playoffs, began with a close affair between the home town Williams Lake Stampeders and the visiting Houston Luckies. The two East Division rivals had played four games during the regular season with the Luckies winning three of those contests, (two by way of the shoot-out). However the Stampeders took the last game of the series by a wide 9-1 margin. It would seem to suggest a close playoff series was about to begin. Such would prove the case in game one as the Stampeders skated away with a closely fought 7-6 victory, sending home a happy crowd of some 400 fans. More often than not the visiting team requires a period or so to adjust after the long bus ride, with the home team taking advantage of the situation. That played out true to form as the Stampeders quickly jumped to a 2-0 lead just six minutes into the game on goals from Francis Johnson and Wilfred Robbins. The home town Stamps carried most of the play in the opening frame, however the Luckies were not about to roll over and play dead. Houston sniper, Blair Lefebvre would close the lead to 2-1 on a soft shot from the side boards that Stamps' goaltender, Willie Sellars probably would like back. Just over a minute later the Stampeders restored their two-goal lead as Francis Johnson gathered up a pass from his brother-in-law and line mate, Wilfred Robbins and slid a shot past Luckies goaltender, Don Kenzle. Hockey purists say the two-goal lead is the hardest to hold onto, and once again that old adage proved true as a fired up Luckies team took control of the second period and scored the only two goals of the period. Blair Lefebvre notched his second of the evening just past the halfway mark of the period. Blair Dinelle scored a very late power play goal with just 37 seconds left in the period to send the two teams to the locker room tied up at 3-3. Head coaches do not like to see their team give up a late period goal as it gives the opposition momentum heading into the following period. Again, a hockey axiom proved true as the revved-up Luckies pounced early in the third period with a quick goal from the stick of Jon Marren only 42 seconds into the final frame. That early goal could have proved to be a back breaker for the Stampeders, but the local lads continued to fight on with success just around the corner. The line of Nathan Zurak, Stu Sasges and Ryan Conlin stepped up big time as Zurak and mates notched two goals in two minutes to restore a Stampeder lead at 5-4. Hard charging Zurak scored both goals, the first coming at the 5:07 mark and his second of the evening at 7:13 of the final period. Houston would not go away quietly as Alvin Borde found the net behind Sellars with seven minutes left in the game, tying the score a 5-5. Luckies sensed the momentum shifting in their favor, but the Zurak, Sasges, and Conlin line would see none of it, with Ryan Conlin slipping a shot between the legs of Kenzle only 30 seconds after the Luckies had tied it up. A late Houston penalty with less than two minutes to play proved costly for the visitors as Wilfred Robbins lifted a shot over the Luckies net minder at the 18:56 mark of the final period. It looked as though the Stampeders could coast to victory up 7-5, but this is playoff hockey and teams never give up. Houston forward, Derek Dinelle, fought off the Williams Lake defenders and found the puck in a mad scramble in front of Willie Sellars poking the puck past the goaltender to bring the lead to a single goal, and still 50 seconds left in the game, more than enough time to find the equalizer. But such would not be the case as the home town Stamps closed ranks and secured the 7-6 victory much to the delight of the home town fans. The Stampeders now take to the road next weekend, up a game to none in the best of three series. Should Williams Lake prevail victorious, they will open the East Division final at home, February 2, against the first place Omineca Ice. In other opening round playoff action, the Terrace River Kings required overtime to defeat the Smithers Steelheads 4-3 to take a 1-0 lead in the West Division semi-final series. In Terrace, the home town River Kings led the Smithers Steelheads throughout most of the game, taking a 2-1 lead into the second period with goals from Coby Johnson and Travis Ridler and a 3-2 lead into the third as Terrace adding one more goal scored by team captain Dan Nadeau. But Smithers tied the game late in the third on a hat-trick goal from Darren McMillan to take the game into overtime. But Travis Ridler's game-winning goal early in the first overtime session, gave Terrace the one game lead in the best of three series, which moves to Smithers next Saturday night, where a win for Terrace will take them to the division final against the waiting Kitimat Ice Demons. However, Smithers will be expected to be a tougher team to take at home, where they have a good record. Terrace and Smithers split their series 2-2 in the regular season. No matter which team wins, Terrace or Smithers, Kitimat as Division leader and league regular season champions, will start the post-season on the road in either Terrace or Smithers, on Feb. 2.

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