By Tyler Penney [1]
BELLEVILLE – The Western Hockey League [2] all-stars didn’t get the result they wanted to get in game one on Monday night losing to Team Russia early into overtime.
It was the first game of six between CHL all-stars and Team Russia.
With Team Canada [3] scouts in attendance at the CN Centre in Prince George B.C., the players on the ice looked to impress in hopes of securing themselves a spot on Team Canada’s World Junior roster in December.
Team WHL’s top line consisted of Regina Pats [4] forwards Sam Steel, and Austin Wagner, along with Medicine Hat Tigers [5] forward Mason Shaw. Shaw and Steel are currently tied for the WHL scoring lead. Steel has 14 goals, 14 assists, and 28 points in 13 games with the Pats. Shaw has five goals, 23 assists, and 28 points over the course of 17 games for Medicine Hat.
The game didn’t start the way Team WHL wanted with Russia getting on the board first with an early goal coming a minute and 13 seconds into the game. Russian forward Nikita Li scored from the corner with a harmless puck on net, handcuffing Team WHL goaltender Connor Ingram to give the Russians an early 1-0 edge.
WHL looked to get on the board after failing to convert on several power play opportunities. But the relentless Russians were putting the pressure on while on the penalty kill, causing Ingram to make several big saves for Team WHL.
Just over ten minutes into the first period, Jansen Harkins got Team WHL on the board shortly after their second power play of the game expired. Parker Wotherspoon started the play from behind the WHL net and Deven Sideroff made something happen off the rush. Sideroff sent a backhand feed across the ice to an oncoming Harkins, as the Winnipeg Jets [6] draft pick brought the Prince George crowd to its feet.
Shortly after Team WHL’s goal, they took a penalty, giving Team Russia their first powerplay of the game. Russia was 2-for-20 in last year’s series in the power play department. They had no luck here either.
In fact, neither side were able to capitalize on the power play in the first period.
The score remained tied at one after the first period, with Team WHL doubling the Russians in the shot column for a first period total of 14-7. Russian goaltender, Anton Krasotkin, looked sharp over the course of the first period, making 13 saves for Team Russia.
Going into the second frame, Team WHL looked to take the lead while on a 5-on-3 power play, four minutes into the second frame. The Russians played tough defence on the penalty kill and Team WHL wasn’t able to capitalize on Russia’s fourth and fifth penalty of the game.
The second frame was a scoreless one, the only marks on the score sheet were in the penalty section. Both sides still had one goal a piece and Team WHL still led in the shot column, with a shot total of 24-17.
Ingram was tested early and often in the third frame with an onslaught of shots coming from the Russians. Ingram was solid until a 2-on-2 break led to a 4-on-2 break for the Russians and it resulted in Team Russia getting their second goal of the game coming from the stick of Danila Kvartalnov.
The WHL power play would finally come alive with a little under ten minutes to go in the third period. Sam Steel was able to knot the score at two, tapping his own rebound past a sprawling Krasotkin. Nick Merkley and Kale Clague got assists on Steel’s tally as the 5,802 at the CN Centre were in for an exciting finish.
At the end of the third period, the score was 2-2, with Team WHL having a shot total of 34 after regulation. The Russians finished with 20 shots in regulation.
The first game of the 2016 Canada-Russia series went to overtime.
Team Russia scored 57 seconds into overtime, with Denis Alexeev skating over the blue line and ripping a shot past Ingram.
Team Russia took game one and currently lead the series in points, 2-1. Team WHL did end up with one point after losing in overtime.
Team WHL looks for redemption on Tuesday night at the brand new Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB as Game 2 of the 2016 Canada-Russia Series is set for 10:00 ET.