The Kitimat Ice Demons exacted a measure of revenge over their defeat on Prince Rupert ice two weeks ago by overwhelming the young Rampage with a 56 – 17 shot performance and a 4-2 win at Tamitik Arena Friday night, Dec. 14.
Only the acrobatics of Keano Wilson in the Rampage net kept the score from matching the dominance of the Demons team on this night.
The Demons took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission, after a sloppily-played period where lots of turnover and loose pucks were bountiful. But Derek Wakita got the Demons ahead at 7:09 of the first after Terry Whelan deftly recovered a puck in front of the Rampage crease, passed to Wakita who beat Wilson cleanly. Jordan Goncalves also had an assist on the play.
The Demons seemed to get their act together better after the goal and two minutes later Ian Coleman put home a clean shot as Wade Masch redirected a hard point shot by Adam Buick to his stick.
The Demons had the puck in the net moments later, but the referee on the far side of the ice lost sight of the still-loose puck and blew play dead.
An errant up-ice pass, with Demons on the power play sent speedy Devon Palmer in alone on Vilness and a slick deke gave the ‘keeper little chance. It was one of 10 shots at Vilness in a period that did not see many chances for Rupert, while the Demons directed 18 shots at Wilson.
The Demons kept up the onslaught in the second period registering 21 more shots to eight for the Rampage, who took five minor penalties in the period against three for the Demons. Kitimat added goals by Derek DeLisser, on the power play, as he got behind Wilson to redirect a pass from Dan Jerrett at 7:31 and the same two players combined with Jon Aiken to see Jerrett score five minutes later (assists to Aiken,
Delis).
The third period was more of the same, with the Demons having 17 shots to Rampage’s eight. The Demons were kept at bay by desperate defense and some outstanding saves by Wilson and when Rupert did break though they found Vilness getting more comfortable with his game after so long on the sidelines.
Veteran Kitimat Ice Demons goaltender Brett Vilness, back in the net for the first time this season, settled down solidly and made some important saves in the early part of the third period when the Rampage started with a strong effort to get back into the game. Vilness made several key saves before a scuffle in front of the net sent the two #24s, Demons Kyle Boudreault and Rampage’s Jean Luc Fournier to the box for roughing after the whistle after a great glove save by
Vilness.
The Demons again began to take charge and the Rampage’s opportunity fizzled.
Rupert still managed its second unassisted goal on the game, the only goal of the third period, when Tyler Ostrom won a battle in the corner for a puck and directed it at goal. Vilness was screened and the puck found its way to the far corner topside.
There were few more dramatics in the game which wound down with the Demons storming the Rampage net.
The Prince Rupert Rampage will now take a bit of a break for the holiday season and return to action at home on Dec. 29 against the Terrace River Kings.