Hurricanes blank the Ice

The Lethbridge Hurricanes are returning home with a tidy winning streak. Wrapping up a five-game swing through B.C., the Canes blanked the Kootenay Ice 3-0 during Western Hockey League action Saturday night in Cranbrook as goaltender Stuart Skinner turned aside 47 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season.

The win ups the Hurricanes winning streak to three games following wins over the Victoria Royals and Vancouver Giants earlier in the weekend and puts the team at 10-12-1-0 as they return to the Enmax Centre Tuesday against the Portland Winterhawks.

On Saturday, the game remained scoreless until nearly the halfway point when Lethbridge assistant captain Ryan Vandervlis netted his 11th of the season and fifth goal in the last three games for a 1-0 lead 7:22 into the second.

The Canes added a little insurance a little over three minutes later when Jordy Bellerive made it 2-0 and kept the goal scoring outburst going when Jake Elmer added his fifth of the season for a 3-0 lead over a span of 4:20.

Skinner closed the door the rest of the way, stopping 35 shots through the first two periods and kicking out another 12 in the third period as the Ice outshot the Hurricanes 47-23.

The Hurricanes powerplay went 1-for-3 in Saturday’s win.

Tuesday night’s game against the Winterhawks goes at 7 p.m. at the Enmax Centre.

NOTES — The Swift Current Broncos and the Calgary Hitmen pulled the trigger on a blockbuster, seven-player deal Saturday.

The Hitmen shipped 20year-old centre Matteo Gennaro and winger Beck Malenstyn along with a fifthround draft pick in the 2018 WHL bantam draft to Swift Current in exchange for roster players Conner Chaulk, Riley Stotts and Dominic Schmiemann.

Also Calgary-bound are prospects Josh Prokop (forward) and Ethan Hein (goaltender) as well as a second-round pick in 2018.