| Photo: Jason Sveinson
WHITE ROCK, BC.
The White Rock Whalers began their Stonehouse Cup Finals matchup against the Mission City Outlaws earlier this week on Tuesday in Mission. On Wednesday, the series shifted to South Surrey Arena, the home rink for the Whalers during this final round of the Harold Brittain conference playoffs. Both games were close and low scoring contests, and it was the Whalers who found a way to skate away with wins in game one and game two.
White Rock Whalers at Mission City Outlaws, Mar. 17
After a thrilling game 7 for the Outlaws just two nights earlier, the series began with game one at Mission City Leisure Centre. The Whalers looked great in game one despite being out of game action for almost a week. Both teams scored in the first, but it was the Whalers who would go on to win game one on the road.
The Whalers scored the first goal of the Stonehouse Cup Finals with eight minutes left in the 1st on the powerplay, with Nico McDonald scoring his 8th goal of the playoffs. The Outlaws responded with a goal from Samuel Gerbrand with less than two minutes to go in the opening period of this series. Shots on goal were 16-11 Whalers after the first.
The second period was perhaps the Whalers strongest period of the night, outshooting the Outlaws 21-11. Each team got multiple powerplays in the 2nd, but the only goal in the 2nd came from Whalers forward Sean Robins, who gave the Whalers a 2-1 lead going into the 3rd period.
Each team took multiple penalties again in the 3rd period, and the Whalers capitalized with a powerplay goal with 16 minutes left in the game. Jacob McNally scored his 4th goal of the playoffs with a shot from the point, and that would be the final goal of the game. The Whalers took a 1-0 series lead with a 3-1 win in Mission, outshooting the Outlaws 47-31. The Whalers went 2/6 on the powerplay, while the Outlaws struggled on the powerplay, going 0/6.
Mission City Outlaws at White Rock Whalers, Mar. 18
The series continued the following night at South Surrey Arena, an Olympic sized rink which is much larger than the Whalers usual home ice at Centennial Arena. The Whalers got a few chances to practice at South Surrey prior to game two, while the Outlaws had some earlier playoff experience on an Olympic sized rink during their series against the Port Moody Panthers.
Game two began with the Whalers getting the first handful of scoring chances, but it was the Outlaws that opened the scoring at even strength. Each team took one penalty in the first and the Whalers led in shots on goal 15-7, but the Outlaws had a 1-0 lead after the first.
The 2nd period was the most even period of game two, with each team taking two penalties. Early into the Outlaws' first powerplay of the 2nd, Colton Collard extended the Outlaws lead to two. The Whalers continued to get scoring chances throughout the 2nd, but they trailed 2-0 after 40 minutes played.
Just like most of the season, the Whalers best period was the third. At the end of their only powerplay in the 3rd, Maxwell Kovach finally got the Whalers on the board with around 11 minutes remaining. The Outlaws held this 2-1 lead for a while after, and the Whalers were approaching 50 shots on goal. Whalers forward Nico McDonald tied the game at two with 2:52 remaining. Just 23 seconds later, Whalers captain Wendell Adriano fired a shot top corner for his 10th goal of the playoffs, suddenly giving the Whalers a late 3-2 lead.
The Outlaws had a few chances with their net empty, but the Whalers held on to secure the 3-2 victory at South Surrey Arena. Final shots on goal were 50-28 for the Whalers, as their continuous attack throughout the game finally paid off in the end. The Whalers finished 1/4 on the powerplay, while the Outlaws were just 1/5 on the powerplay. What looked like it might be a 1-1 series was now a 2-0 series lead for the Whalers after another late playoff comeback victory.
Up Next for the Pod
The Whalers and Outlaws both got two days off after game two to prepare for the upcoming pivotal game three at South Surrey Arena on Saturday, March 21st. Puck drop for this game is scheduled for 7:00 pm, as the Whalers have an opportunity to take a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Game four and five of this series will be played in Mission, so it's important that the Whalers use this opportunity to do everything they can to get to within one win of the Stonehouse Cup. Game four will be on Sunday (March 22nd) at 6:00 pm at Mission City Leisure Centre, followed by game five (if necessary) on Tuesday, March 24th at 7:00 pm. Game six and seven of this series if necessary would be played at South Surrey Arena on March 26th and March 27th.
If you can’t make it to watch the action in person, tune in at FloHockeyTV.com to keep up the Whalers throughout their 2026 playoff run.
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