Smithers Steelheads creeping up on Ice Demons, but may be in danger of running out of regular season games

The Smithers Steelheads, trying to win their first regular season CIHL title moved to within a point of West Division leader, the Kitimat Ice Demons with a 4-1 with over a short-bench Prince Rupert Rampage in Smithers Saturday. The win gave Smithers 20 points on the season, but they have played two more games than the Ice Demons. Two goals in the first period by Dan Dykens and Blanchard staked the Steelheads to a lead that held up until the third period when they extended it to 4-0 on goals by Hutchinson and Groot. Prince Rupert's Hunt, with a late goal spoiled Tyler Perreault's first attempt at a shut-out with just three minutes left in a game where the Steelheads out-shot the Rampage by a wide margin. With the Ice Demons idle until they meet the East Division basement dwellers, the Omineca Ice on January 2 and 3, the Steelheads have a game scheduled this weekend in Prince Rupert, where a win could vault them into first place, overall. But it will be the Steelhead's 15th game leaving them only one more against the Burns Lake Braves, on January 2. After that they will have to wait and watch to see how the Demons wind down the season in their final two games against Terrace. However, with Demons still having four games remaining for a potential eight points, all against current basement teams, the Steelheads will be looking for some urgent help from the Omineca Ice and from the Terrace River Kings, the Demons home and away opponents in their last two remaining games of the season in mid-January. Given Demons record of only one loss and a single shootout loss this season, Smithers are a long shot to take the Lightening Trophy. As West Division teams scramble for post-season playoff position, the River Kings were feeling a little desperate this past weekend when they dropped a 7-5 game in Hazelton against the Wolverines. This was a typical Hazelton -Terrace game with lots of rough stuff late, but the Wolverines salted it away early carrying 2-1 and 3-2 leads at the end of the first and second periods, and then out-scoring the Kings 3-2 in the third before the game deteriorated into a fight fest which saw two players on each side ejected in a brawl at the 14 minute mark of the period. CIHLeague scoring leader Curtis Cardinal scored two goals and assisted on two to extend his scoring lead to 35 points, with 29 goals and 15 assists. Meanwhile in the East Division the Burns Lake Braves were idle as they watched the on-the-road Williams Lake Stampeders split two games with the Houston Luckies to regain a share of first place, tied with the Braves at 16 points. But the Braves are in the drivers' seat with two games in hand, over the Stamps and with a two point lead over the Luckies, who have also played 12 games. The two teams will go at it in Burns Lake this weekend and a win could help the Braves win the division title in its first season back in the league. A Houston win would jam up the division...with the Braves still having to face the Steelheads and travel to Williams Lake for their last two games. Don't go away...