Wranglers 4 Generals 2
BLACKFALDS — The script was similar, with a different ending.
For the second time in as many games, the Blackfalds Wranglers were on their heels during most of the third period, but this time they remained upright and held on for a 4-2 victory over the Cochrane Generals in Heritage Junior B Hockey League playoff action Tuesday.
After coughing up three unanswered goals and falling 7-6 in double overtime at Cochrane Sunday in the opening game of a best-of-five league semifinal, the Wranglers were facing a must-win situation two nights later.
“It was huge, especially after the way we lost the first one,” said Wranglers veteran defenceman Scott Maetche, who tallied twice to help his squad even the series at 1-1 heading into Game 3 tonight at Cochrane.
“You can say what you want, we should be up 2-0, but that’s the playoffs and they (Generals) deserved to win the first game,” Maetche continued. “We didn’t play well enough in front of our goaltender the other night.”
The Wranglers were able to the survive the final 20 minutes Tuesday, despite being outshot 24-7.
Netminder Tanner Schalin deserved most of the credit as the Generals, who were the Heritage League’s top scoring club in regular season play and boast three of the league’s top four scorers, poured it on during the third period.
“They’re very persistent,” said Maetche.
“I thought we really did a good job in the first and second periods of limiting their chances, then they kind of took it away in the third and took off and got a lot of quality chances. But we did a pretty good job of battling and playing good defence down low and limiting their high-quality chances, anyway.
“Our goaltender Tanner played great tonight and it was great to get this win, for sure. There were some scary moments, but it was good to get it done.”
The Wranglers opened the scoring just 2:24 into the contest when affiliate player Steven Makofka took a feed from defenceman Derek Wiedmer, broke in alone and beat Generals netminder Garrett Fraser.
Cochrane pulled even in the second period as Wes Kashuba unleashed a laser from the blueline that eluded Schalin high to the short side, but Maetche restored the Wranglers’ lead at 12:33 of the middle frame, connecting from a scramble during a Blackfalds power play. Maetche then potted the winner four minutes later, drilling a power-play shot from the top of the faceoff circle past Fraser.
The Generals got a man-advantage marker from Jeremy Gordon at 13:33 of the third period, but could not get another puck past Schalin. David Jantzie added an empty-net goal with 15 seconds remaining to seal the deal.
The win guaranteed the Generals of another home game in the series — Game 4 at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Maetche admitted that he and his teammates were relieved to get a second post-season opportunity. Blackfalds and Cochrane tied for the best regular-season record in the three-division Heritage League, giving the Wranglers the wild-card semifinal berth despite falling to the Red Deer Vipers in the seventh game of the North Division final last Friday.
The Wranglers didn’t advance until Cochrane knocked off the Three Hills Thrashers in the deciding game of the Central Division final the same night.
“It was pretty tough in the dressing room (following Friday’s loss to Red Deer). We weren’t sure if we were even going to get back into the playoffs, a lot of us thought that it was over,” said Maetche. “Then about 20 minutes later we got word that Cochrane had won their series, so it allowed us, through the grace of God and the weird playoff rules in this league, to get back in it.”
Schalin finished with 50 saves Tuesday, while Fraser stopped 31 shots at the other end.
l In the other semifinal, Red Deer gave up four power-play goals and an empty-net marker and fell 5-2 to the host Okotoks Bisons Tuesday.
Troy Klaus and Stephen Pietsch scored for the Vipers, who outshot the Bisons 42-32 but trail 2-0 in the best-of-five series with Game 3 set for Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Red Deer Arena.
gmeachem@www.reddeeradvocate.com