Warriors without Hardman put defending champs on brink

Goalie Connor Hopkins backstops West Kelowna to Game 5 win over Wild

Connor Hopkins was almost unbeatable, and the West Kelowna Warriors erased an early deficit for a 4-2 victory over Wenatchee on Friday night in BCHL playoff action.

The Game 5 victory puts West Kelowna into position to eliminate the Wild on Sunday night in Washington State leading 3-2.

Hopkins was a difference maker, facing 41 shots. Parm Dhaliwal and Lucas Cullen each had a goal and assist. Garrett Worth and Bennett Norlin also scored for the Warriors. It didn’t look good early, though. Wenatchee scored at 1:03, a power-play goal for Murphy Stratton after Anthony Bishop took a tripping penalty at 18 seconds.

West Kelowna tied the game 15 minutes later when Worth scored his first of the postseason from Bishop and Sam Anderson.

Bishop faked the shot and instead sent a slap pass toward Worth, who redirected it past Cal Sandquist and they went into the first intermission tied 1-1.

The Wild poured it on after the break, outshooting the hosts 16-6, but it was Norlin who scored the only goal and West Kelowna had the momentum heading into the third period.

Cullen took advantage. He scored the eventual game-winner when he spun from behind the goal line.

His nearly blind attempt took a deflection off a skate and scribbled across the goal line 54 seconds into the final frame. Dhaliwal and Wenatchee’s Nathan Iannone traded third-period goals, and that was it. Perhaps more impressive than Dhaliwal’s offensive production (he has four goals and five assists this series) and Hopkins’ MVP play, is the Warriors did it without their ace.

Forward Mike Hardman, who had 39 goals and 33 assists in 58 games, left Game 4 on Wednesday with an injury and didn’t play Friday. There was no word from the Warriors on the extent of Hardman’s injury or when he might return to the lineup.

The Warriors and Wild — the defending BCHL champions — each went 1-for-7 on the power play in front of 1,016 fans. The three stars were Hopkins, Dhaliwal and Cullen. Game 6 is Sunday at 8 p.m.

VEES, DO OR DIE

The Penticton Vees will try to stave off elimination tonight at South Okanagan Events Centre trailing the Cowichan Valley Capitals 3-1. CV — the wild card playoff team — has stunned the No. 1-seeded Vees.

Game time is 6 p.m.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

The Trail Smoke Eaters defeated the Merritt Centennials 4-2 to upset the Cents on home ice.

Braeden Tuck had a goal and an assist. The Vernon Vipers were trying to eliminate the Salmon Arm Silverbacks on Friday night at Kal Tire Place in the North Okanagan.

The game was tied 3-3 heading into the second overtime; a result was not available at press time. —