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Warriors buzzer beater waved off as Cranbrook take series to a sixth game

Warriors taken to Game 6

The West Kelowna Warriors came within an eyelash of taking Friday's fifth game of their best-of-seven first round series to overtime.

A goal from Trent Wilson just as time expired was quickly waived off by officials preserving Cranbrook's 6-5 come-from-behind win and keeping them alive in the best-of-seven Interior Conference quarterfinal series.

One replay appeared to show the puck crossed the goal line just after the blue light signifying the end of the game came on, however another showed the puck had crossed with less than a second left.

"I went back and watched the play on video and unfortunately we don't have video replay here. I couldn't tell you if it was a goal or not," said head coach Simon Ferguson.

Regardless of whether the buzzer beater was a goal or not, the game never should have come down to a last second prayer.

The Warriors led 2-0 after scoring a couple of power play goals in the first period but inexplicably fell apart in the second as the Bucks outscored the Warriors 4-1 to take a one goal lead.

"We came out in that second period and gave them a little bit of life by turning the puck over on that first shift and that gave them the belief they could play with us and then we probably want some goals back from our d-zone," said Ferguson.

"I don't think it was very good tonight.

"We came out in the second and thought it was over and did some things that weren't in our character and they capitalized on them."

Johannes Løkkeberg got the Warriors on the board off the rush as he gained the zone, slid to his right and fired a shot back to the left that beat Carter Capton.

Jackson Kyrkostas doubled the lead just seconds into another power play batting a pass from Isaiah Norlin past Capton from the slot.

Things fell apart from there. Jack Silich four minutes into the second and Bryce Sookro five minutes later off a rebound brought the Bucks back onto even terms.

Viggo Nordström restored the one goal lead with his second shorthanded goal in as many games. Løkkeberg again set this one up as Nordström grabbed a rebound off the back boards and threw the puck toward the net from a sharp angle that was redirected into the net by a Bucks defender.

The Bucks got that one back on the same power play then grabbed their first lead of the night shortly thereafter on a sneaky backdoor play.

The Warriors were able to tie it just shy of the midway mark of the third when Simon Hogue buried his first playoff goal with a seeing-eye wrist shot from the left point.

But again, defensively lapses hurt the Warriors. Noah Urness fired a one-timer from the right circle that beat Matthew DellaRusso five hole just 28 seconds after the tying goal.

Then less than a minute later Jaden Fodchuk increased the lead to two.

Wilson pulled the Warriors to within a goal with 76 seconds left but they were officially unable to complete the comeback.

The Warriors still lead the best-of-seven three games to two with game six back in Cranbrook Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. Pacific time.

If a seventh game is necessary it would be played at Royal LePage Place Tuesday night.

The Warriors were without the services of leading scorer Jack Pridham who sat out the first game of a two game suspension handed out by the league after it upgraded his high sticking double minor to a cross checking major and game misconduct.



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