Wenatchee scored early in overtime to send playoff series back to Kelowna

DON'T. GO. ANYWHERE.

Tij Iginla nets his LEAGUE-LEADING seventh goal of the 2024 #WHLPlayoffs, sending Game 5 between the Rockets and Wild to WHOA-vertime. @Kelowna_Rockets | #NHLDraft | #FeedingtheFuture pic.twitter.com/iD6K2KBKns

— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 6, 2024

The Kelowna Rockets were not able to complete the comeback and send the Wenatchee Wild packing.

The Rockets battled from two goals down late in the third period to force overtime but it was the Wenatchee Wild who found the game winner to stay alive in their best of seven series and force a sixth game back at Prospera Place Sunday afternoon.

Trailing 4-2 with less than three minutes to go in regulation time the Rockets got their power play working.

Gabriel Szturc's blasted a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle off a feed from Andrew Cristall to make it 4-3 then on another power play in the final minute with Jari Kykkanen on the bench for a sixth attacker Cristall again got things started from the blue line.

This time he found Tij Iginla at the edge of the crease who buried his league-leading seventh playoff goal to tie it with 47.6 left in tie it and force overtime.

But just 54 seconds into the extra period off a faceoff in the Kelowna end, Steven Arp came off the side boards and threw the puck on net that found its way between Kykkanen and the post for the game winner.

Kenta Isogai with a pair including a shorthanded goal and Briley Wood with his sixth on the power play helped the Wild build a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes.

Szturc and Evan Friesen exchanged power play goals about 90 seconds apart midway through the third before the two late goals forced overtime.

Michael Cicek also scored a power play goal for the Rockets who finished the night 4-11 with the man advantage.

Game six in this series is back at Prospera Place Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.