Rockets Edge Hawks 2-1 in OT
The Kelowna Rockets defeated the Portland Winterhawks 2-1 in overtime on Friday night in a thrilling fifth game of the WHL Western Conference Final, taking a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Tyson Baillie converted a centring pass from Dillon Dube with 5:05 remaining in the first overtime period to end proceedings after a dominating overtime that saw Kelowna outshoot Portland 20-4.
“It was a great game,” said Baillie on the AM1150 post game show. “We really stepped up in overtime. Everyone stepped up. Me and Dillon were talking about a give and go, that’s the way it was going to happen, and it did. Everything was a blur after it went in.”
Goalie Jackson Whistle had a stellar game for the Rockets as the Hawks had outshot Kelowna 39-29 in regulation. Both Whistle and Portland starter Adan Hill were named game stars.
The Rockets led 1-0 after the first on a goal from Riley Stadel and carried that lead all the way through the game, until the Winterhawks tied the game 1-1 with a goal by Nic Petan with just 3:33 left in the third period, sending the game to overtime.
The Rockets had several chances in the extra frame before Baillie was able to fire a one-timer home, after Dube had worked the puck free in the corner.
“What an overtime by our team,” said Rockets head coach Dan Lambert. “Dillon made a great play and he put it in Tyson’s wheelhouse and he put it in. I really liked the way the guys stuck with it. It was an outstanding effort by our players.”
The win came in front of a raucus sellout crowd at Prospera Place in Kelowna as 6,261 fans took in the game.
Game six in the series is back in Portland on Sunday, a 5 p.m. start at Portland’s Moda Center.
Game seven if necessary will be held in Kelowna on Tuesday May 5.
