Storm Give up Power Play Goal In OT-Face Elimination
KAMLOOPS, BC—The Kamloops Storm finds themselves on the verge of being eliminated from the 2024 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League post-season.
The Storm gave up a power play goal in overtime and fell 3-2 to the visiting Revelstoke Grizzlies in game three of their best of seven Doug Birks Division Final. The Grizzlies now lead the series 3-0 with game four set for Tuesday (Mar 12) th in Kamloops.
Kamloops was called for too many men on the ice in the extra period. That resulted in Daniel Wittenberg (Calgary, AB) scoring the winner on Kamloops goalie Colton Phillips-Watts (Quesnel, BC) when he jammed home the puck on the short side with the Storm defense apparently helpless to stop. All three of the Revelstoke goals in this contest were the result of Grizzlies forwards overpowering the Kamloops blue line.
To defend the Storm blue line: it was decimated with the loss of overages Sam Lewis and Devin Benson (Kamloops, BC) with injuries. Kamloops was also missing forward Keenan Conn (Beaumont, AB) to injury and Loch Stefanishyn (Pinawa, MB) who was serving the first of a three-game suspension for a charging major in game two.
Kamloops led 1-0 after the first period on a goal from Ryan Larsen (Kamloops, BC). It was the third straight game in this series that the Storm had scored first.
After Jake Neufeld (Calgary, AB) tied things up at 13:07. Kamloops regained the lead 33 seconds later as affiliate player Kieran Thibault (Kamloops, BC) scored his first KIJHL goal as he strong-armed his way to the Revelstoke goal and beat Grizzlies goalie Jozef Kuchaslo (Mission, BC). He faced 24 pucks for his sixth straight postseason victory.
Revelstoke tied it up before the end of the second when Ethan Coventry (Calgary, AB) scored his ninth of the playoffs and seventh of this series.
Phillips-Watts faced 44 shots in goal for Kamloops.
Puck drop for game four Tuesday is 7 PM PST. Should the Storm emerge victorious, game five would be Friday night (Mar 15) in Revelstoke.
