Chris Clegg
NPHL.com Writer
Mike Lalonde, Ryan Friesen and John Wayne Howes each scored twice and Spencer Gover added three assists to lead the hometown Dawson Creek Canucks to a 9-2 win in their NPHL Semi-Final opener Feb. 21 against the Manning Comets.
DC led throughout the game, which saw them pepper Manning goaltender Braden Gamble with 57 shots while MAN mustered only 20 shots on Kenton White.
DC led 3-1 after one period and 5-2 after two before scoring the third period’s only four goals.
Austin Power, Brett Norman and Jeff Taylor added the other DC goals. Jason Higson, Kevin Swales and John Wayne Howes each added two assists.
Taylor Paulovich’s first period goal and Payton Proskurniak’s second period power play goal was all the offence MAN could muster.
There were only 14 minutes in penalties called in the game, with MAN receiving 10. About the only thing that went wrong for DC this night was they were 0-for-5 on the power play; MAN was 1-for-2.
Game 2 is at MAN Saturday night.
Comets 2 at Canucks 9
Thursday, Feb. 21
[Canucks lead series 1-0]
First period
1. DC, John Wayne Howes 1 (Mike Lalonde, Spencer Gover) 3:48
2. DC, Jeff Taylor 1 (Dolan Bjornson) 6:54
3. MAN, Taylor Paulovich 5 (unassisted) 8:48
4. DC, Mike Lalonde 1 (John Wayne Howes) 14:34
Penalty: MAN bench minor (too many men, served by Jarrod Lorencz) 4:28.
Second period
5. DC, Brett Norman 1 (Spencer Gover, Kevin Swales) 1:41
6. MAN, Payton Proskurniak 4 (Michael Gillen) 16:34 (pp)
7. DC, Ryan Friesen 1 (Jeff Taylor) 17:36
Penalties: Tyler Dillman MAN (holding) 7:48, Jeff Taylor DC (tripping) 13:31, Austin Power DC (cross-checking) 15:45.
Third period
8. DC, Mike Lalonde 2 (John Wayne Howes, Jason Higson) 1:10
9. DC, John Wayne Howes 2 (Spencer Gover, Levin George) 1:36
10. DC, Ryan Friesen 2 (Kevin Swales) 2:17
11. DC, Austin Power 1 (Jason Higson, Colin Mathieson) 11:35
Penalties: Logan Newman MAN (slashing) 6:46, Payton Proskurniak MAN (hooking) 13:06, Payton Proskurniak MAN (tripping) 15:16.
Shots on goal:
Manning 3 8 9 -20
Dawson Creek 15 24 18 -57 Goaltenders: Comets, Braden Gamble; Canucks, Kenton White.
Power Plays: MAN 1-2; DC 0-5.
Penalties in Minutes: MAN 10; DC 4.