Flames stay alive against Midget Canes
The Lethbridge midget AAA Hurricanes and the Calgary Flames will play at least one more game.
The Hurricanes were downed 3-1 by the Flames in Game 3 of the teams’ Alberta Midget Hockey League South Division best-of-five semifinal series Tuesday night at Nicholas Sheran Arena.
Looking to score the sweep, the Hurricanes fell behind 1-0 after the first period before pulling even on a shorthanded goal by Ridly Greig.
But a pair of Flames goals in the third period, including an empty-netter, sealed the win despite the Hurricanes outshooting the Flames 45-16 after two periods. Game 4 heads back to the Calgary tonight. “I thought we had our chances and we have to finish our opportunities we’ve got,” said Hurricanes head coach Mike Dyck. “I thought we played really well in the second period and in the third period we didn’t play as well or as smart as we wanted to. I thought the officiating was horrendous, but at the same time we put ourselves behind the eight-ball when we take penalties. We just have to play a little bit smarter tomorrow, reset and get ready.”
The Flames took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission when Cam Pollock-Hughes on an odd man rush after Calgary killed off a late period penalty.
The Hurricanes found themselves down a man midway through the first period, but tied it up at as Greig pounced on a giveaway at the Calgary blue-line and broke in alone on Flames goaltender Riley Fonger, scoring on a forehand to make it 1-1.
Calgary re-took the lead midway through the third when Brayden Morrison scored off an offman rush for a 2- 1 lead.
Then with Canes goaltender Byron Fancy on the bench, the Flames added some empty-net insurance from Hunter Nelson to send Game 4 back to Calgary tonight.
After winning Game 1 3-2 in double overtime Thursday in Lethbridge, the Canes won Game 2 in Calgary 5-3 on Sunday.
“You don’t want to get too high or low,” said Dyck. “We won the first two and lost tonight. Now we get an opportunity to go back there, reset and play well.”
If a fifth game is needed it would be played Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Nicholas Sheran.
Both AMHL North Division semfinal series were settled Tuesday.
In Leduc, the Chrysler Oil Kings downed the St. Albert Tire Warehouse Raiders 7-4 in Game 4 to take the series 4-1, while the Edmonton Knights of Columbus Pats dispatched the Fort Saskatchewan Boston Pizza Rangers 2-1 in Fort Saskatchewan to win their series 3-1.
In the other South Division semifinal, the Calgary Royals host the Red Deer Optimist Chiefs in Game 4 tonight in Calgary. The Royals lead the series 2-1.