Two high-scoring games bring out the excitement for Wolverines fans

Last week was the battle of the Grande Prairie Storm and the Whitecourt Wolverines, with two games, two arenas, and two very different outcomes. On Tuesday, February 7, the Wolverines hopped in their bus and drove up the highway to the Bonnetts Energy Centre in Grande Prairie for the first game between the pair.

The Whitecourt Wolverines lit up the scoreboard first, just over a minute into the period, thanks to Cooper Smyl’s twenty-second of the season, assisted by Jack Franklin. The Storm answered at 3:56, tying things up, 1-1. Colby Browne was the next Wolverine to add to their stats, grabbing his nineteenth goal of the season, assisted by Spencer Rheaume and Rodion Tatarenko.

Leading 2-1, the Wolverines wasted little time before adding to their lead. At 11:52, Tanner Klimpke scored his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Caleb MacDonald and Spencer Rheaume, making it 3-1. The Grande Prairie Storm rushed back, scoring two goals in just over two minutes, tying the game 3-3. Not to be outdone, Dylan Leslie joined the chorus, scoring at the 18-minute mark of the period. With nine seconds left, the Storm scored, tying things up again. That’s eight goals in one period!

In the second, try as they might, the Wolverines could not get a puck past the Storm’s netminder. Unfortunately, the Storm players did not have the same issue and pocketed two goals past the Wolverine’s goalie, Lochlan Gordon. After the second, it was 6-4 for the Storm.

The final period started poorly for the Wolverines. At 3:23, the Storm scored another, increasing their lead 7-4, but the already high-scoring game was about to get even bigger. Aiden Long scored just after the five-minute mark, getting his team within two. Seventy seconds later, the Wolverines came back again. This time, it was Jarred Feist, assisted by Rodion Tatarenko and Graham Skinner. The Wolverines were within one goal of tying things up.

Nearing the end of the period, the Wolverines had only seconds to make their move. A pass from Tanner Komzak to Caleb MacDonald landed on Kaiden Wiltsie’s stick, and the Wolverine forward did not miss. With only seven seconds left in the regulation time, the Wolverines had tied things up 7-7. It was time for OT!

Overtime was short-lived, as the Storm scored only twelve seconds into the extra frame. The Wolverines left with one point in their bucket, craving more. The final score from Grande Prairie was 8-7. Surprisingly, there was only one penalty in the game. Wolverine Dylan Leslie sat for two in the second for charging.

Night two for the teams came on Friday, February 10. The Grande Prairie Storm was ready to take another win from the Wolverines, but the home team was also ready; to fight! The first period was uneventful, with only one penalty to the Storm for slashing and no goals. It was night and day from the previous game, which had eight goals in the first twenty minutes.

In the second period, things livened up. Aiden Long scored the game’s first goal, assisted by Kaiden Wiltsie and Jack Franklin, whipping the 445 fans in the stands into a frenzy. Thirty-three seconds later, his teammate Cooper Smyl scored his twenty-third goal of the season, thanks to assists from Dylan Leslie and Caleb MacDonald.

The Wolverine’s quick two-goal lead evaporated as the Storm scored twice to tie things up. Wolverine Braden Keeble, flanked by Jonah Bevington and Rodion Tatarenko, broke the tie, giving his team back the lead of 3-2. Fans were feeling it!

In the final period, the Wolverines came in hot. Dylan Leslie scored a goal fifty-five seconds in. Make it 4-2! A little over six minutes later, Colby Browne snipped one past the Storm netminder, thanks to a wicked pass from Tanner Klimpke and Caleb MacDonald, giving the Wolverines a 5-2 lead.

Thirty seconds later, the Storm snuck in a powerplay marker off the draw as Wolverine Spencer Rheaume sat in the box for slashing, 5-3. Aiden Long, who got the game’s first goal, ceremoniously got the final goal, too, scoring unassisted with 55 seconds left. The final score from the Scott Safety Centre was 6-3 Wolverines. This week, the Wolverines are on a southern trip and will not return for a home game until February 24 and 25 against the Bonnyville Pontiacs.