Boyko Keeps His Rocket's Season Alive With Huge Overtime Win

Talyn Boyko (Steven Dunmoor)

Wednesday night saw five New York Rangers prospects take the ice for their respective teams as we entered day seven of the CHL playoffs. For all of them it was game four of their respective series, with one team facing possible elimination and one looking to be the eliminator.

Talyn Boyko struggled during games one and two for his Kelowna Rockets giving up over seven goals a game. It helped put his Rockets in a 0-3 hole as they faced Matthew Rempe's Seattle Thunderbirds in game four. 

Well game four comes and Seattle scratches Rempe giving no word as to why the 6'9 forward was not going to play. The Rockets on the other hand, decided to give Talyn Boyko the start after his benching in game three. 

Boyko responded with his best performance of the playoffs stopping 36 of 38 shots as his Rockets stayed alive thanks to a 3-2 overtime win over Seattle in game four. The game's first star, Boyko was a very clear 180 from the mistake-prone goalie from the first two games. 

(Boyko was involved with the WHL Highlight of the Night.)

🎥 HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT 🎥

Talyn Boyko with a timely save at one end, a pretty passing play back the other way finds the stick of Noah Dorey! #WHLPlayoffs@Kelowna_Rockets | #WHLHoN pic.twitter.com/N7RnJgJtxd

— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 28, 2022

Boyko kept his Rockets alive even after they dug themselves into a 2-0 hole by the early second period. Seattle dominated the first period outshooting the Rockets 12-4 while scoring the game's first goal. 

In the second, after Seattle made it 2-0 at just 3:16 things were looking very bleak for the Rockets. But that was the last goal Seattle would score as Boyko slammed the door shut. He stopped seven shots for the rest of the period, then 11 in the third and finally another seven in the first overtime as his Rockets fought their way back into the game and eventually won it at 15:55 of the first overtime.

Boyko stopped Seattle's final 25 shots as Kelowna earns their first win of the series 3-2, forcing a trip back to Seattle for game five on Friday. 

(Late word is it is unconfirmed that Rempe is injured, but no other details are available)

Evan Vierling and his Barrie Colts saw their home ice advantage disappear when they lost game four in double overtime to the Mississauga Steelheads 3-2. This was a heartbreaking loss for the Colts as it was such a defensive battle that neither team was able to muster double digits in any of the five periods played. 

It was fitting the guy who scored the game-winner while the goalies split the second and third stars as they both put on a great show for the fans in attendance. Vierling had one point on the night as he was credited with the primary assist on the Colt's game-tying goal in the second period.

Vierling handed off the puck to linemate Tyson Foerster on the power play and Foerster took a couple of steps and fired a blast that blasts the Steelheads goalie, tying the game at 2-2, setting up the overtimes. It was a nice shot that the goalie had no chance on.

Overall Vierling was 0-1-1 on 1 shot with a minor for tripping in the second overtime that led to the game-winner. Vierling was also 12-13 on faceoffs as this series is now tied 2-2 and headed back to Mississauga for game five on Saturday.

Call Brennan Othmann "snakebit" as he can't buy any offense in the series between his Flint Firebirds and the Owen Sound Attack. Owen Sound has been playing a swarming and trapping defense that has taken away any space Othmann would normally have to make his plays. 

Not making excuses for Othmann, quite the opposite as it is up to Othmann to figure out how he can create space as well as offense or else his Firebirds will be knocked out. Game four saw Flint muster 44 shots, but that number is very misleading since they only could score twice. 

Othmann had five of those shots but it would be very hard to see them as legit tough scoring chances. Give the Attack their due as they rallied with two goals in the third while rendering Othmann a non-factor to win 3-2 and tie this series at 2-2.

The Attack have held Othmann to points in the first two games and none in games three and four. Game five is back in Flint on Sunday. 

Jayden Grubbe and his Red Deer Rebels face the Brandon Wheat Kings looking to take a 3-1 lead in their series, but the Wheat Kings fought to earn a 3-1 win and a 2-2 tie in the series. Grubbe had a secondary assist on the Rebels only goal; was credited with four shots and was a +1 while going 9-9 on faceoffs.

Game five will be Friday night in Red Deer.

Ryder Korczak had the first goal for the Ranger prospects in three days, but it wasn't enough as his Moose Jaw Warriors fell to the Saskatoon Blades 5-3. The Blades were fighting for their playoff lives trailing in the series 3-0 before game four.

But the Blades outplayed the Warriors, jumping out to a 2-0 lead after one. Moose Jaw made it a 2-1 lead midway through the second, only to see the Blades make it 3-1 minutes later. 

The Warriors would score late in the second to cut the lead to 3-2 and then Korczak would tie the game with his second goal of the playoffs coming early in the third to tie the game at 3-3.

Ryder Korczak ties it up early in the third!@MJWARRIORS | @NYRangers #WHLPlayoffs | #MJvsSAS pic.twitter.com/t3KZWrotib

— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 28, 2022

The Blades would score twice more to make it 5-3 and force the series back to Moose Jaw for game five on Friday.