CRANBROOK, B.C. — Joe Antilla passed up a couple of chances to shoot early Tuesday night in Game 3 of the Western Hockey League finals. But he didn’t pass in overtime.
The Kootenay forward scored at 6:12 of overtime as the Ice won 3-2 over the visiting Portland Winterhawks.
That gives the Ice a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 4 is at 6 p.m. today in the Cranbrook Rec Plex.
Antilla took a pass in the high slot from Max Reinhart and scored with a wrist shot high to the glove side of Portland goalie Mac Carruth.
It was Antilla’s second overtime goal in this postseason.
“I passed up a couple of opportunities to shoot,” Antilla said. “I learned from my mistakes and took the shot.”
The winning play developed as Reinhart possessed the puck along the right boards, and Antilla worked his way into space near the left faceoff circle. He collected the cross-crease pass and ripped a shot that cleanly beat Carruth just inside the post.
“We’re going to think about this one for two hours and then get ready for tomorrow,” Portland center Craig Cunningham said.
Cunningham’s line was the only one to hit the score sheet for Portland, with Ty Rattie and Sven Bartschi scoring for the visitors.
The Ice forced overtime with a goal late in the third period.
Drew Czerwonka had a partial breakaway and scored with a backhand-to-forehand move while falling down.
“Drew doesn’t give up on that puck,” Ice coach Kris Knoblauch said, calling the play the turning point of the game.
Portland had several chances to regain the lead, but Kootenay goalie Nathan Lieuwen stood tall. Lieuwen, who made 34 saves, denied Bartschi twice from point-blank and made a big save on Cunningham during a three-minute power play for the Winterhawks late in the third period.
Ice opened the scoring at 17:53 of the first period, as Kevin King picked the puck up in the circle and fired a wrist shot just under the cross bar. King extended his point streak to six games and has four goals in the series.
Sixty seconds after Kevin King opened the scoring for Kootenay in the first period, later the Winterhawks tied the game as Rattie took a drop pass from Cunningham and fired a wrist shot that beat Lieuwen.
Winterhawks took a 2-1 lead early in the third period as Rattie found a wide open Bartschi who scored into an open net with a one-timer. Bartschi has five goals in the series.
Knoblauch called the game entertaining for the 3,402 fans, noting that each team had quality scoring chances denied.
“The goaltenders for both sides played very well,” Knoblauch said. “Their best players did some great things, and so did ours.”
With the victory, the Ice have tied a franchise record with seven straight wins at home.
Notes
• Matt Fraser, the Kootenay player injured in a Game 2 collision with Portland’s Brad Ross, played in Tuesday’s Game 3.
• Portland defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon, a key penalty killer, returned to action after missing Game 2 for an undisclosed injury.
• Portland’s Bartschi on Tuesday was named the Canadian Hockey League player of the week for the week ending May 8. In three games Bartschi scored five goals and two assists for seven points with a plus-minus rating of plus-2. The CHL includes the WHL, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
• The Winterhawks have signed goaltender Jarrod Schamerhorn, who spent this past season with the British Columbia Major Midget League. Schamerhorn was added to the team’s protected list after a strong showing in August’s training camp. He has also spent several years working with Winterhawks goaltending coach Tyler Love.
• Tuesday’s game included a 15-year-old in each lineup. Ice forward Sam Reinhart and Winterhawks forward Nic Petan both played in their second game of the series.
