Is there anything more intense than playoff hockey? How about a game four come-from-behind victory at home?
The Creston Valley Thunder Cats suited up for a game in the valley against the Grand Forks Border Bruins last night.
It was a tough game, with Creston trailing 1-0 early to start it out.
Despite falling behind, the Thunder Cats clearly had a game plan in mind: shoot the puck.
Despite Grand Forks’ goalie putting up an incredible showing, the sheer volume of shots on net was bound to crack the steel wall.
And crack it did, with three back-to-back goals for Creston to take a 3-1 lead.
However, with a powerplay goal nearing the end of the third period to pull it to within one, the Border Bruins were not going to go away quietly.
Luckily, despite a last-minute push from Grand Forks, Creston netminder Parker Forrest shut the door and the Thunder Cats came away with a 3-2 win.
With the win, the Thunder Cats take a 3-1 series lead.
Creston head coach Brad Tobin says they are hitting the road back to Grand Forks with a pep in their step.
“Everybody’s feeling really good. You know, we think that we’re a team that can obviously make some noise in the playoffs and to be up three one right now with a chance to finish the series is big for this group.”
After being moved from the Eddie Mountain division into the Neil Murdoch, Creston is making a splash against somewhat unfamiliar opponents.
“It’s a team that we don’t know too much compared to Kimberly or Columbia Valley in that. We went one and one against them during the season, so we thought that we had a good opportunity to get the job done in the first round here.”
Creston started out the season with a win on the road in Grand Forks. In game two, the only game not to be decided by one goal, the Border Bruins would tie the series at a game apiece.
However, Creston took both home games to take the commanding lead.
“To win one game there in the first game of the playoffs (feels great),” said Tobin.
“We feel that we have the opportunity and we don’t want to waste it. We want to get the job done in game five, not have to come back to Creston on Saturday night.”
However, that’s easier said than done. During the last minute of play last night, the Thunder Cats faced a barrage of shots that could have sent the game into overtime.
That’s something Tobin hopes to avoid
“Their season is on the line, so they’re going to be playing desperate hockey. We just got to make sure that we’re matching their intensity level and kind of weather the storm for the first 10 minutes and then just keep going from there and chip away and try to get a win.”
Despite the last-minute attempts, Creston held the advantage on the shot clock for the past two games, putting up 51 in their first on home ice.
Tobin says that’s definitely a good thing.
“It just seems like when we get more shots on that, we get more chances, a lot more scrambles than that and everybody gets a shot or two.”
Game number five hits the ice in Grand Forks on Friday. If needed, game six is in Creston on Saturday.