Wyatt Hoflin made 25 saves, and Luke Philp scored his second game-winning goal in as many nights as the Kootenay ICE defeated the Calgary Hitmen 4-2 Saturday at Western Financial Place.

Kootenay forced a seventh and deciding game in their Western Hockey League Eastern Conference Quarter-Final after rallying from a 3-1 series deficit.

The ICE opened the scoring on a first-period powerplay as Tim Bozon slapped a shot past Calgary netminder Brendan Burke at the 13:40 mark. Kootenay took a 1-0 lead into the intermission despite being outshot 9-6.

The Hitmen responded in period two. Leading scorer Adam Tambellini tucked home his fifth goal of the playoffs at 11:19 to even the score at 1-1.

The ICE reclaimed the lead minutes later on an individual effort from Jaedon Descheneau, who created a turnover in the neutral zone before barrelling in on goal and outwaiting the outstretched Calgary netminder.

The two sides continued to trade chances through to the late stages of period three when, off an odd-man rush, Philp cruised towards the Hitmen goal and snapped a shot off the crossbar and in to give the hosts a 3-1 lead.

Tambellini narrowed the gap to one goal with a short-handed deflection tally with 1:25 to play, but Kootenay added an insurance marker thanks to captain Sam Reinhart, who chipped home an empty-net marker in the dying seconds of the third period.

The ICE finished 2-3 on the powerplay, while Calgary was 0-3.

Mack Shields made 12 saves in relief of Brendan Burke in the Hitmen goal. The Calgary starter left the game in the second period after stopping 13 of 14 shots.

HADDAD FINANCIAL SERVICES 3 STARS:
1. Jaedon Descheneau, Kootenay
2. Wyatt Hoflin, Kootenay
3. Adam Tambellini, Calgary

UP NEXT: the ICE and Hitmen will play Game Seven at Scotiabank Saddledome Monday, April 6. Game time is 7 p.m.

Kootenay ICE