Overtime Ecstasy!

There is nothing like overtime hockey, especially in the W.H.L playoffs, to get the heart palpitating.

A goal in overtime usually isn't a calculated play, it often comes off a bad bounce, a huge miscue by the opponent or from an outstanding individual effort.
They usually come out of no where, and appear before your eyes when it looks like a scoring chance isn't about to develop.
What's great about overtime hockey at this time of the year, unlike the regular season where a time limit is in place, o.t in the playoffs can go on forever.

The Kelowna Rockets have had a fair share of exciting finishes over the last few years thanks to 'overtime ecstasy' - and for whatever reason three games in post season where extra time was needed brings back great memories. Two of the hero's in those games are now earning a paycheck in the N.H.L.

Oddly enough two of three goals that standout were scored against the same team, in the same building, on the same day but just one year apart.

Scary!

It was April 11th, 2003 and the Rockets were on the road in Spokane.

While the Rockets had a 3-0 series lead after a 4-1 win over the Chiefs in game three, the heroics of Cam Paddock in the extra session in game 4 propelled the Rockets into the Western Conference final that season against Seattle.

The goal by Paddock, was an individual effort where he worked himself behind the Chief net with the puck, skated out-front untouched, and somehow roofed the puck over the shoulder of Barry Brust in a 4-3 win.

What made the goal so dramatic was the Chiefs were coming on in the game, scoring twice in the 3rd period to tie the game, erasing a Rockets 3-1 lead.

Who would assist on Paddock's heroic game winning goal?
Joni Lindlof!
Where the heck is he?
I always say between Joni Lindlof and Richard Kelly, I don't know which was a better practice player?
Both players had great skill, could skate and looked like 50 goal men in practice.
But get them into a game, and they were facing competition way over their heads.

I still have to laugh when you look up Richard Kelly's name on the W.H.L website, and it showed he played with the Kamloops Blazers in 2001-2002 and had 29 goals - 45 assists for 74 points in 54 games.
Trust me he never played for the Blazers, and only in his dreams could have put up those type of numbers.

Sorry I got sidetracked, let's get back to the overtime heroics.

One year earlier in the 2002 playoffs, Travis Moen played hero in overtime.

Again against Spokane, the Rockets were battling from behind all series long until Moen's goal totally turned the tide of the series in Kelowna's favor.

In an odd series which saw the Rockets split the first two games with the Chiefs by playing one game on the road despite having more points in the standings during the regular season, the Chiefs opened with back-to-back wins forcing the Rockets to dig deep to get back in the series.

And they did.

A one goal win in game 3, followed by an 8-2 win in Spokane in game four had the Rockets and Chiefs tied at 2 wins apiece.
But game 5 would be the pivotal contest for both teams as the best of seven was now down to a best of three.

That's where Travis Moen came in.

Oddly enough the date was again April 11th, and again the opponent was the Chiefs.

Moen would score in the second overtime session in a 2-1 Rockets victory.

Moen's goal came from just over centre ice, a long blast that somehow beat - you guessed it - Barry Brust.


The goal was the back breaker, as the Rockets would wrap it up in game six with a 2-0 shutout win on home ice.

I could bring up bad memories of the 2004 playoffs where the Rockets lost five times in overtime, including three to Everett in the Western Conference final, but I am finally getting over that fiasco.
While the hockey Golds were against the Rockets in that playoff season, they were blessed from above one year later when divine intervention appeared to play a factor in the Western Conference final with Kootenay.

The two teams split the first two games, only to see the Rockets win games three and four in regulation before the Ice stayed alive with an overtime win in game five.

Game six back in Kelowna was magical as the Rockets had a chance to put the Ice away.

Cue the hockey Gods.

With the Ice holding a 1-0 lead in the game, Rockets d-man Mike Card would score with just over 2 minutes left in regular time on a centre ice long shot, that hit Kootenay goaltender Jeff Glass and found its way into the back of the yet.

Then in overtime, in a scramble in front of the Ice net, the puck miraculously came out to Shea Weber, who wired a wrist shot past Glass, officially clinching the series, and sending the Prospera Place faithful into a frenzy.

I still have the audio portion of that goal, and it brings shivers down my spin every time I hear the crowd erupted with joy as Weber wired it into the back of the net to send the Rockets into the W.H.L final.

It was an o.t winner I won't soon forget!

Regan's Ramblings:

Congrats to Rockets Athletic Therapist Jeff Thorburn for being named to the training staff of the Canadian Under 18 hockey team. Thorburn will join Rockets head skipper Jeff Truitt in Finland for the games, as Truitt is Team Canada's assistant to Trent Yawney.

Clayton Barthel's pro debut with the Phoenix Roadrunners was a successful one. Saturday night Barthel earned an assist as the East Coast Hockey League team fell 4-3 to Fresno. It's interesting to note that a former Western Hockey League sharp shooter is Barthel's coach in Phoenix.

Do you remember Brad Church?

The former Prince Albert Raider is the head coach of the Roadrunners after the teams head coach resigned late last week.

Church, pictured to the left, was a 1st round round pick of the Washington Capitals in 1995, after scoring 42 goals and collected 88 points in the 1995-96 season with the Raiders, yet played just two games with the Capitals before spending the rest of his career in the American Hockey League and the East Coast League.

Church is just 30 years old.

I have been working early morning's this week at the radio station, meaning I've been getting out of bed at 3:30 am and arriving at work shortly after 4.
It again reminds me why I left Swift Current after doing early morning sports and play-by-play for the Broncos for 5 years.
Frankly it was a killer.
Having to be awake that early was tough in itself, but then trying to sound awake for the game that night was ludicrous.
I know my buddy Jon Keen in Swift Current does it, and I am sure it's also common place in Saskatoon, PA, Moose Jaw and Brandon.
The radio stations in those markets don't care if they burn these play-by-play guys out, all they care about is getting the most out of these employees at any cost.
Sadly many of these radio stations will claim that it's just part of the job, take it or leave it!
It's a situation many of my media cohorts sadly accept, but it just isn't right.

Here's one for you.
Name the goaltender that is credited with introducing us to the 'bird cage' mask?
Summit Series 1972 saw Russian Vladislav Tretiak wear the helmet-cage mask for the first time on North American soil.
The mask was poorly designed at the time, as the helmet shifted during play and wasn't designed to absorb the impact of the puck.
After Philadelphia Flyers Bernie Parent had to end his career in 1979 after getting a stick in the eye using a moulded mask which sat flush on the face, many goaltenders switched to the bird cage, similar to the one used by Tretiak.