It was not the way the Ice Wolves wanted to start a three-game swing, as they dropped a 5-1 decision in Kindersley on Wednesday evening to the Klippers.
“We had a couple of good shifts there at the start, we kind of let them dictate the game, they used their speed and kind of skated around us ,” said Ice Wolves Associate Coach Gaelan Patterson. “It was a really slow game though, not a whole lot going on.”
The Ice Wolves had a number of good opportunities early in the contest, but Zach Johnson was there to make the saves. Johnson ended his evening with 32 saves for the victory. The Klippers took a 1-0 lead 6:33 into the first when Jacob Schnapp beat Liam McGarva on a partial breakaway. Schnapp tallied his second of the night 14:10 into the first, giving Kindersley a 2-0 advantage through 20 minutes.
Caden Benson gave the Klippers a 3-0 lead 7:24 into the second when he walked down the right wing and beat Liam McGarva upstairs. Dawson McKenzie and Austin Nault would both tally later in the period, as the Klippers went into the third with a 5-0 lead.
The Ice Wolves would finally get on the board 19:33 into the third when Kyle Ford tallied his 12th of the campaign, which made it a 5-1 game.
Steven Bacovsky replaced Liam McGarva after Kindersley’s fourth marker. McGarva made 13 saves on 17 shots, while Bacovsky ended his evening with 18 saves.
“It was good to see him (Bacovsky) get a chance there, he’s been waiting for it,” said Ice Wolves Associate Coach Gaelan Patterson. “Obviously, he’s young, he’s got some improvement to make, but he’s been doing well. He’s been working pretty hard, but he had a good third period.”
With the loss, the Ice Wolves slipped to 7-9-2 on the season, which still has them parked in sixth place in the overall standings. La Ronge will look to rebound on Friday in North Battleford when they meet the North Stars. The Ice Wolves close out their weekend Saturday in North Battleford.
You can catch the action Friday and Saturday on MBC Network Radio with Braden Malsbury.
(PHOTO: The Ice Wolves made their first trip to Kindersley Wednesday. Photo by Braden Malsbury.)