LACOMBE - The Innisfail Eagles are down but not out.
The Birds now trail 2-0 to the Lacombe Generals in the best-of-five Allan Cup Hockey West League finals. The Eagles are now in a must-win situation for the series' third game, which will be at home this Friday (March 1). Puck drop is 8:30 p.m.
The series began Saturday night (Feb. 23) with Game 1 in Lacombe. It was a close contest that saw the Birds lose 3-2.
Despite having a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes in Game 2 on Sunday, they came out on the short end of a 6-2 decision on the road.
Eagles head coach Brian Sutter said Innisfail was the better team at even strength in both games this weekend.
“We were by far the better team five-on-five tonight. There's absolutely nothing wrong with how we played for the first two periods," said Sutter.
"It wasn't a 6-2 game. We can't control some things (but) we can control how hard we played and we dominated for two periods,” he said. “The last two periods in (Game 1) we were the better team and that's how we got to play."
Innisfail's Riley Simpson opened the scoring late in the first period Sunday, with a power-play goal. He also netted the Birds' second, go-ahead goal late in the second frame giving his team a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes.
The tables quickly turned and Lacombe took over.
The Generals scored a power-play goal in the first minute of the final period and four more consecutive goals to take Game 2.
"It was not the way we wanted to do it. We were going (into the third period) confident,” said Simpson. “We had to kill off a five-on-three there right at the start of the period and unfortunately we weren't able to do that and it gave (Lacombe) a little bit of momentum.”
Sutter said officiating was also a factor in Sunday’s loss.
"Their first goal shouldn't have counted. They gloved it into the net and they knew it," explained Sutter. "You can't be on the power play and have every call go against you. I'm not making excuses; those are facts. It was an embarrassment for officiating tonight and their team knows it too."
Simpson said the Eagles know the battle isn’t over.
"These games are close, closer than the score shows,” said Simpson. "You take it one game at a time and inch back in the series.
“We'll be excited to get back home,” he added.
Both of Innisfail’s goalies, Allen York and Danyon Lorencz, are injured, noted Sutter, pointing to the good work of goalie Paul Boulianne, who filled in for Innisfail on the road.
Sutter said his team can be pleased with their hard work.
"I told them after the game they can be proud," he said.
"Down 2-0 or up 2-0, it doesn't change. It's one game at a time in the playoffs. You come and play with the mentality we did for the first two periods and we're going to be just fine," Sutter concluded.
Game three is this Friday (March 1) at the Innisfail Arena. Puck drop is 8:30 p.m.
