The Carstar Okotoks Bisons are facing a hill to climb in the HJHL Final.
The Sylvan Lake Wranglers scored two goals in each of the first periods to earn a 5-0 victory over the Bisons Sunday afternoon in Okotoks to earn a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Heritage Junior Hockey League championship series.
Kaden Toussaint, the HJHL’s goaltender of the year in the regular season, made 38 saves for the shutout and his eighth win of the postseason.
Okotoks carried the play for large stretches of the first period, but it was the visitors who struck first with Riley Teulon scoring on the rush on their second shot of the frame. The Wranglers then doubled their advantage with a late powerplay with just 5.7 seconds left in the period through Tyler Gyori.
Bret Gerrits made it a three-goal game with a wicked wrist shot from the slot before a major turning point in the contest.
Late in the second period, Toussaint robbed Bisons forward Zephyr Laplante’s opportunity with a diving glove save with the puck then brought up ice leading directly to Wranglers forward Hayden Motowylo's goal on an odd-man rush.
The Wranglers added a powerplay goal via Justin Gyori in the late stages to see out the result.
Sylvan Lake took the series opener by a 4-2 count on home ice on March 21. Okotoks got goals from Caden Scott and Sam Callahan in the loss.
Game 3 of the set is March 25 in Sylvan Lake. If the Bisons can force a Game 4, it would be at the Murray Arena on Thursday, March 27 at 8 p.m.
For more information, go to okotoksbisons.com.
Series schedule
Game 1: Okotoks at Sylvan Lake. Wranglers win 4-2.
Game 2: Sylvan Lake at Okotoks. March 23, 3 p.m. Wranglers win 5-0.
Game 3: Okotoks at Sylvan Lake. March 25, 8 p.m.
Game 4: Sylvan Lake at Okotoks. March 27, 8 p.m.
Game 5: Okotoks at Sylvan Lake. March 29, 6 p.m.
