Cranbrook forced a game seven edging West Kelowna 4-3 in OT Sunday

Photo: Trevor Crawley

In a playoff series that has had a little bit of everything why not the ultimate do-or-die - game seven.

The Cranbrook Bucks clawed their way back from a 3-0 series deficit to force game seven with a 4-3 overtime win over the West Kelowna Warriors in Cranbrook Sunday afternoon.

Jaden Fodchuk, who had just come out of the penalty box early in the extra period muscled his way around Felix Caron off the left wing, cut hard to the net and lifted a shot over the outstretched glove of Matthew DellaRusso just 3:13 into the overtime period.

Isaiah Norlin had a great chance to win it earlier in OT but Carter Capton slid across to turn aside his one-timer from the left circle. DellaRusso made a great glove grab off Julian Frias on a shorthanded breakaway just moments before Fodchuk ended it.

The game was really a microcosm of the who series with disallowed goals on both sides, strange goals and wild momentum swings.

The last may have come in overtime when the Warriors were unable to anything going with the man advantage leading to the Bucks game winner.

The Warriors thought they had snapped the 3-3 tie with only 3:08 left in regulation time when Carter Oakenfold scored his first of the series when he drove the net from the right wing and slid the puck into Capton's legs and made contact with the netminder as the puck slid into the net.

After a lengthy review the officials ruled the puck was pushed in as a result of the contact and waived it off.

The Bucks also had what appeared to be a 2-0 goal on a power play waived off in the first period because of what was ruled incidental contact on DellaRusso prior to the goal.

That call led to the strangest goal of the season by far. Off the ensuing faceoff with the Warriors still shorthanded, Sean Keohane cleared the puck off the glass from inside his own blue line.

With Capton leaving the crease for what he expected would be a puck ringing around the boards, it hit the stanchion and changed direction straight into the unattended net knotting the game at one.

It was the Warriors third shorthanded goal in as many games.

The Warriors took their only lead of the game 1:40 into the second when Dylan Krayer sent Trent Wilson in all alone. Wilson beat Capton high to the blocker side for a 2-1 lead.

Samuel Lyne tied it later in the period banging home a rebound for his first BCHL goal.

Julian Frias bagged a similar rebound early in the third before Caron notched his fourth of the series on a one-timer from the left circle 7:30 into the third setting the stage for overtime.

DellaRusso, making his fourth straight start in place of injured Rorke Applebee made 35 stops as Cranbrook outshot the Warriors 39-38.

The Warriors went one for two with the man advantage while the Bucks were held off the board on their only opportunity.

West Kelowna played without Jack Pridham who served the final game of his two-game suspension while forward Cal Hughes was a late scratch.

Game seven goes Tuesday night at Royal LePage Place.