Strike two for the Cranbrook Bucks on their three-game road trip, after taking a second straight 3-2 loss to the Wenatchee Wild Friday night to close their double-header in the USA.
Like Thursday night’s game, neither team was able to find the scoreboard in the first period. Both teams had ample opportunities, the Bucks had a power play chance and Wenatchee had three attempts with the man-advantage. Cranbrook outshot the Wild 13-8, but goalies Evan Gartner and Tyler Shea stood their ground to keep the game at a 0-0 score to set up the second period.
Action-packed hockey dominated the first five minutes of the middle frame, each team traded two goals over a 2:21 span. Wenatchee was able to jump out to a quick 2-0 lead with goals from Parker Murray at 2:20, followed by a power play tally from Garrett Szydlowski at 3:45. Cranbrook was quick to erase the deficit with goals from Kellan Hjartarson at 4:03 and then Tyson Dyck at 4:41. The Bucks held a 24-15 shots lead after forty minutes, while the game held at a 2-2 tie to start the third period.
Wenatchee jumped out to a 3-2 lead early in the third period, Quinn Emerson found room in the slot and fired a wrist shot past Gartner at 3:35. The Bucks staged a late push near the end of the final frame with a power play and an empty net in lieu of an extra attacker for a 6-on-4 advantage, but the Wild managed to hold off Cranbrook’s comeback attempt. The final score was the same result as Thursday, a 3-2 Wild victory to sweep their double-header with the Bucks.
Friday’s loss leaves Cranbrook on a two-game losing streak heading into Sunday’s game versus the West Kelowna Warriors. The Bucks outshot Wenatchee 32-21, they finished 0/5 on the power play while the Wild went 1/6 with the man advantage. Wenatchee moves to .500 on the season with Friday’s win and sports a 11-11-4-1 record for seventh place in the Interior Conference. Cranbrook’s record drops to .563 at 17-13-2, they maintain their grip on the fifth Interior Conference seed.
The Bucks will close their three-game road trip versus the Warriors Sunday in West Kelowna.
Bucks Tracks:
- Cranbrook trails season series vs Wild 2-0
- Tyson Dyck scores 19th goal of the season (tied for 2nd in BCHL scoring with 43 points).
- Three-game point streaks for Johnny Johnson, Kellan Hjartarson and Liam Hansson.
- No points for any Bucks defencemen last two games.
