Ice win in overtime again, 5-4

CRANBROOK, British Columbia — First Matt Fraser knocked down a clearing pass.

Then he knocked the Portland Winterhawks to the brink of elimination in the Western Hockey League championship series.

Fraser scored the game-winning goal on a Kootenay power play 13:08 into overtime on Wednesday, lifting the Ice to a 5-4 win that takes them to the brink of their third league title.

Kootenay leads the best-of-7 series 3-1. Game 5 is on Friday at the Rose Garden in Portland. The Winterhawks must win games Friday, Sunday at Cranbrook, and Monday in Portland to advance to the Memorial Cup tournament.

Wednesday’s game was the third in four that has gone to overtime, and the second in as many nights won by the Ice in overtime at the Cranbrook Rec Plex.

“It could just as easily be 2-2, or we could even be down,” Fraser said.

Jesse Ismond had two goals and two assists for the Ice. Cody Eakin added two goals and one assist.

Ryan Johansen scored twice for Portland. Ty Rattie’s goal with 17 seconds left in regulation forced overtime. Defenseman Troy Rutkowski also scored for Portland.

Fraser started the winning play be knocking down Tyler Wotherspoon’s clearing attempt at center ice. That started an odd-man rush that ended with Fraser depositing the puck into a wide-open net.

“It was pretty easy for me. All I had to do is put the puck in the net,” Fraser said.

Kootenay coach Kris Knoblauch disagreed, pointing out that Fraser’s ability to bat down the clearing attempt set up the goal.

Each team was denied on glorious scoring chances in overtime prior to the winner as Kootenay goalie Nathan Lieuwen and Portland goalie Mac Carruth came up big.

Portland’s best chances in overtime were a back-hander by Sven Bartschi from the slot that bounced off the post, and a doorstep stuff try by Nino Niederreiter that Lieuwen denied with his left pad.

Kootenay, helped by two power plays, outshot Portland 11-4 in the overtime. The Ice forced Carruth to make a series of big stops, and saw an Eakin shot ring off the post.

The penalty that led the decisive power play was a roughing call against Bartschi as he fought for possession behind the attacking net.

Portland head coach Mike Johnston thought the penalty was going to be assessed on Kootenay, not Bartschi.

“It was a bad call,” Johnston said, adding that he had looked at a replay before commenting. “Certainly I was surprised that in overtime the call would go like that.”

Johnston said the perceived injustice would not be a rallying point as his team works to stay alive in the series.

“Our team rallies around how we play,” Johnston said. “I was real pleased with our effort, and that’s what we’re going to rally around.”

Kootenay took a quick 2-0 lead on goals by Ismond 19 seconds in and by Eakin at 7:46. Johansen and Rutkowski — whose shot from near the center line deflected off the stick of Joey Leach and past Lieuwen — pulled Portland even. But Ismond’s second goal, off a nice feed from Eakin, made it 3-2 Ice after two periods.

Portland trailed 4-2 before Johansen scored unassisted at the end of a Portland penalty kill with 3:35 to play. Rattie got the tying goal off a rebound chance from a Rutkowski shot with an extra attacker on for the Winterhawks.

That is the kind of resiliency Portland will need to get back into the series.

“Being down two (goals) in the third period looked bleak, but we kept coming,” Johnston said. “With that kind of effort we’re going to get back in the series.”

ICE 5, WINTERHAWKS 4 (OT)

Portland 0 2 2 0 — 4

Kootenay 2 1 1 1 — 5

First Period — 1. Kootenay, Ismond 3 (Boomer, Benoit) 0:19; 2. Kootenay, Eakin 10 (Leach, King) 7:46. Penalty — McNabb Ktn (tripping) 18:32.

Second Period — 3. Portland, Johansen 12 (Niederreiter, Boychuk) 1:41; 4. Portland, Rutkowski 4 (Cunningham) 14:19; 5. Kootenay, Ismond 4 (Eakin, Leach) 18:11. Penalties — Niederreiter Por, McNabb Ktn (cross-checking) 6:13, Morrow Por (hooking) 10:49, Niederreiter Por, King Ktn (roughing) 17:57.

Third Period — 6. Kootenay, Eakin 11 (Ismond, Leach) 12:30; 7. Portland, Johansen 13, 16:25; 8. Portland, Rattie 9 (Rutkowski, Morrow) 19:43. Penalties — McNabb Ktn (holding) 2:42, Aronson Por, King Ktn (roughing) 10:58, McNabb Ktn (interference) 12:55, Rattie Por (high-sticking) 14:24.

Overtime — 9. Kootenay, Fraser 15 (Reinhart, Ismond) 13:08 (pp). Penalties — Rattie Por (delay of game) 8:42, Bartschi Por (roughing) 11:30.

Shots on goal by — Portland 10-11-10-4–35; Kootenay 8-11-8-11–38.

Goalies — Portland: Carruth (L,13-6); Kootenay: Lieuwen (W,14-3).

Power plays (goals-chances) — Portland: 0-3; Kootenay: 1-4.

Referees — Matt Kirk, Derek Zalaski. Linesmen — Trent Knorr, Scott Sharun.

Attendance — 3,593.