Insinger hits all the right notes

Bryson Insinger scored two goals and set up two more to lead the Canmore Eagles to a 5-2 victory over the Calgary Canucks on Tuesday, March 24.

Playing before family and friends in his hometown of Calgary, the 19-year-old centre came up with his biggest junior hockey performance at a pivotal time for the Eagles, giving them a 2-1 series lead in this best-of-seven Alberta Junior Hockey League South Division semifinal.

Insinger and linemates Easton Milne and Will Lutic combined on each of the first four Canmore goals as the Eagles won the first of back-to-back games in Calgary.

Around the league, Drumheller Dragons got their first playoff win with a 6-4 road win against the Camrose Kodiaks, the Whitecourt Wolverines shutout the Fort McMurray Oil Barons 4-0 to take a 2-1 series lead, and the Grande Prairie Storm won 6-3 over the Lloydminster Bobcats to take a 3-0 series lead.

In Calgary, the four-point night for Insinger is the most since his minor hockey days, coming in his 152nd game as an Eagle including regular season and playoffs. Along with Lutic, who had one goal and three assists, and Milne, who had one goal and two assists, the line combined for 11 scoring points.

Calgary opened the scoring on Grant Reid’s power-play goal 10:17 of the first period.

That goal was answered 58 seconds later when Insinger feathered a pass from behind the goal to Lutic in front of goal for his first goal of the playoffs.

Milne was the recipient of a pass from Insinger, who would battle for the puck along the left-wing boards and slip it towards the goal with the puck tipped inside the far post at 12:11 of the second period.

Milne then got to a loose puck on the end boards and fed a pass to Lutic whose shot was blocked by Canuck goaltender Dimitri Fortin and right onto Insinger’s stick for his first of two goals at 17:10.

In the third period. Lutic chased down a pass down the right side in the Calgary zone and dished the puck to the wide open Insinger, who stepped around the goalkeeper and completed the scoring play with a backhand shot at 7:38.

Tavynn Hamilton completed Canmore’s scoring when he stole the puck from Fortin behind the Calgary goal and wrapped it into the unguarded net for his second goal of the playoffs at 13:59.

Calgary would get a late goal from Adam M’Hamed, their second power-play goal of the game, and his second of the playoffs. The Canucks are 6-for-13 with the man advantage in this series, while the Eagles have just one power-play goal in 12 chances.

Calgary outshot Canmore 38-33 with Alex Scheiwiller making his third consecutive start in goal for the Eagles.

Game 4 of this series goes Wednesday (March 25) in the Ken Bracko Arena at the Max Bell Centre. Game time is 7 p.m.

Around the league:

Drumheller got goals from six different players to rebound for an important victory.  Tucker Tullikopf scored twice for the Kodiaks, who had three power-play goals in coming up short on this night.

Elliott Pratt made 25 saves as Whitecourt took a 2-1 lead in their series with Fort McMurray. Ty Rayan scored the first two goals of the game for the Wolverines.

Connor Frost scored two goals as Grande Prairie put Lloydminster on the brink of elimination. Oakley McIlwain scored twice for the Bobcats.

All series resume Wednesday.

Game 1 – Calgary 5 at Canmore 2

Game 2 – Calgary 2 Canmore 3

Game 3 – Canmore 5 Calgary 2

(Canmore leads series 2-1)

Game 4 – Canmore at Calgary, Wednesday, March 25 (Ken Bracko Arena, 7 p.m.)

Game 5 – Calgary at Canmore, Friday, March 27 (Canmore Recreation Centre, 7 p.m.)

(if necessary)

Game 6 – Canmore at Calgary, Sunday, March 29 (Ken Bracko Arena, 5 p.m.)

Game 7 – Calgary at Canmore, Tuesday, March 31 (Canmore Recreation Centre, 7 p.m.)

All games are available for viewing through a Flohockey subscription available online at flohockey.tv or through your Prime Video account.