When you get the chance don’t miss.
You could count the amount of scoring chances on one hand in the Foothills CFR Chemicals Bisons and Calgary Buffaloes Alberta Midget ‘AAA’ South Final Game 2 until a moment of brilliance as Okotoks’ Peyton Krebs broke free for a clinical breakaway finish to lift his team to victory Sunday.
Linemate Zach Huber, who’s usually on the other end of a saucer pass from Krebs, returned the favour by stretching out for a poke-check to spring the Okotokian on a clearcut crusade to the crease with 6:45 left in regulation in the scoreless deadlock.
“Hubes made a good play to chip it up there,” said Krebs, of the lone goal in the game. “I had it in my head what I was going to do. I thought of this before the game that if I ever did have the opportunity to do that I knew what I was going to do.
“Backhand was my weapon of choice.”
Krebs, tied for league lead in points during the regular season, went fake forehand-backhand before sliding it calmly past terrific Buffs netminder Taylor Gauthier to send the Strathmore Family Centre capacity crowd into a frenzy.
Foothills got better as the game went on and used its forecheck to great effect to turn the momentum around in the final frame.
“Making them turn over pucks at their blueline is key for us,” Krebs said. “When we do that is when we’re getting most of our chances.”
At the other end of the ice, Bisons shot stopper Ben Laidlaw closed the door on a Buffs equalizer including a pair of Marc-Andre Fleury like diving efforts to close out the nervous result.
“It’s a defensive game. Our defence, their defence, our goalies, their goalies are really strong,” Krebs said. “We’ve got a few offensive threats, Huber, (Brandon) Machado, (Brett) Trentham. If we can get those guys to put the puck in the net we will come out on top.
“They’re a really fast team who come on you fast. If we make the right plays and outwork them I think we will be on top.”
The Buffaloes, the top seed in the South Division, took the series opener by a 2-1 score on Friday.
The best-of-five series continued on March 14 in Calgary, after the Western Wheel’s press time,
Game 4 is back in Strathmore on March 16 at 7 p.m. If necessary, Game 5 is at Calgary’s Cardel Rec Centre on March 18 at 6:45 p.m.
“It’s not going to be high scoring games,” Krebs said. “It’s going to be hard-working, you’re definitely going to feel your body aching after every game.”
For more information go to bisonshockey.com
