Ice Hawks Take Commanding Series Lead

Many in the Delta area were under the impression that the final series between the Delta Ice Hawks and the Ridge Meadows Flames would be a five game series with Delta pulling out all stops winning in fine fashion.

While the fans from Maple Ridge travel to the games, Delta fans can either attend in person or watch all home games on Delta TV each week, including all home playoff games after getting “spiffed up” from NorDel Barbers on 84th.

Home ice is or should be an advantage for any home team, but this series saw game one go three additional periods that saw the Flames upset Delta by a 2-1 margin despite being outshot 88-29 with both teams PP being non-existent.

Delta rebounded in game two and game three pulling off wins by scores of  6-1 and 3-2 in double O/T at the eight minute mark.

With the series returning to Maple Ridge the somewhat smaller size ice surface would work on this night for the Flames getting a lucky break after a missed assignment by a “D” allowing Ridge to enter the zone with a free shot on Naylor going top shelf pulling off the win tying the series at two.

Talk around the rink in Delta was quite simply “how did this happen and why”, with simply no logic to the question and while some were asking why, the Ice Hawks responded and hammered the Flames by a 7-2 thumping.

The Delta Ice Hawks crushed the Ridge Meadows Flames 7-2 in game five of the Pacific Junior Hockey League finals last at the Ladner Leisure Centre to grab a 3-2 series lead and one win away from the elusive league championship and a trip to the Cyclone Taylor Cup .

Pelletier opened the scoring for Delta getting his first of two on the night (6:44) giving Delta the early lead as the stingy Hawks “D” limited the visitors to just 4 shots while Delta doubled the number making 9 saves through twenty minutes.

The second saw Delta literally ice the game outscoring Ridge by a 4 to 1 ratio opening an impressive 5-0 lead with Alex Suprynowicz finding the back of the net twice including a power play.

The Flames eventually got on the scoreboard as Cordoni struck late in the period cutting the Ice Hawks lead to 5-1 after two.

The 4 goal outburst in the second chased starter Paul Tucek out for only the second time in the final series from the game with former Ice Hawk Cooper Anderson replacing Tucek.

Cordoni scored his second of the night making things interesting for the almost sellout crowd as cutting the Delta lead to 5-2 with time against the Flames.

In the end it was all Delta scoring twice in the last 10 minutes putting the game out of reach on goals by Rees and Pelletier (second of the night) allowing Delta to skate away with a 7-2 win taking a 3 -2 series lead.

Ice Hawks “tender” Jordan Naylor continued his stellar play stopping 19 of 21 shots faced pulling Delta a win away from taking the league title.

Ridge “Keepers” Paul Tucek and Cooper Anderson finished the game with a combined 21 saves through 60 minutes of play.

Game six is scheduled for Wednesday March 28th at the Cam Neely Arena with the face-off set for 7:35 pm.

Should a game 7  and deciding game be required it would be back at the Ladner Leisure Centre March 29.

Thanks to Bruce for covering the game as well.