By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
The Osoyoos Coyotes kicked off their playoff series on a shaky note Friday night at Sun Bowl Arena’s, dropping the first game of a best of seven against Armstrong’s North Okanagan Knights 5-3.
It was a game ultimately closer in play than in score, but riddled with inconsistency in the Coyotes play – at least comparing the dismal first period with the rest of the game.
The Coyotes set the faltering stage for a limp first period with a cross checking penalty (#9 Jack Henderson), a scant 1.20 into the game. Less than a minute later the Knights were predictably rewarded with a power play goal.
The Coyotes struggled much of the first period and the latter half of the third to clear the puck from their zone. Don Urquhart photo
It seemed this goal had an outsized impact on the Coyotes. The home team struggled mightily to even get the puck out of their zone let alone mount any serious offense. Outplayed and out-checked their game plan crumbled like a month-old cookie.
A five-minute “major-blow to the head” penalty along with a 10 minute game misconduct penalty against the Knights looked set to provide the Coyotes with a plausible opportunity to reset the direction of the game.
Unfortunately for the Coyotes the struggle was just as real in their opponents’ zone as it was in their own. With a whole heap of passing and not a lot of shooting the Knights were effective in neutralizing the Coyote’s power play.
Defensive zone clutter: the struggle was real for the Coyotes. Don Urquhart photo
What came next was just plain hard to watch. Two Knights’ goals at 13:21 complete with a reverberating crossbar ring for emphasis and another at 15:01.
A home team goalie change and penalty each for themselves and later the Knights, and a clearly frustrated Coyotes team headed for the dressing room.
One can only wonder what was said in the Coyotes’ dressing room, but whatever it was, fires were clearly lit under the players butts. It seemed a whole new team emerged on the ice for the second period, a far more confident, more physical Coyotes team brought it on, making for a much better matchup with the Knights.
Some great hockey ensued including a couple of near misses, including one ringing off the post for the Coyotes in a period that should have seen the Yotes record a couple of goals.
In the end fate was not smiling in their direction however, with a Knights goal at the 17:15 mark, again sending the scoreless home squad to the dressing room with a four goal deficit and much to think about.
Coyotes forward Jack Henderson is unceremoniously dumped at the edge of the crease. Don Urquhart photo
The third period didn’t disappoint, kicking off for the Coyotes much like the second. A Knights penalty only 1:29 into the period provided an opening but the Coyotes were unable to capitalize on it.
That proved to be the start of a penalty laden period – with a total of five for the Coyotes and six for the Knights – although neither team was able to capitalize on their opponents’ shorthandedness.
But the team was clearly fired up and it seemed only a matter of time before they would get one past the Knights goalkeeper. This was realized with #43 Hunter Harwood finally putting Osoyoos on the scoreboard at the 4:49 mark.
With some good end-to-end play the Coyotes pocketed nearly back-to-back goals (#8 Coletyn Boyarski at 8:35 and #43 Hunter Harwood at 11:04) to suddenly inject new life into the game. The Osoyoos crowd responded in kind, raising the roof with newfound spirit.
North Okanagan Knights goaltender Austin Seibel makes a save. Don Urquhart photo
At 4-3 in the Knights favour with 11 minutes left in the game, anything was possible now.
Unfortunately a reappearance of the weak defensive zone play seen in the first period ultimately saw the Knights score with a neat quick wrist shot to the upper right corner and that sealed the Coyotes’ fate.
The rest of the game was as much a venting of frustration as it was a scramble to clear the opposition from the Coyotes’ zone. Three pulls of the goalie to give the extra man led to some near misses but goals were never realized.
The second game of the playoff series in the Bill Ohlhausen Division of the Okanagan/Shuswap Conference of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League will be played tonight (Sat. Feb. 18) at Sun Bowl Arena at 7:35 p.m. before the contest shifts to Knights’ home ice in Armstrong. A concession stand is in operation and the Osoyoos Rotary Club’s beer garden is in operation.
Coyote faithful engrossed in the game. Don Urquhart photo
