As an energy-producing province, Alberta's oil is the driving force.
But on Friday it was a puck-stopping dam named Ian Scott that gave Team Alberta the power to overcome adversity and earn a place in the gold-medal game at the Canada Winter Games men's hockey tournament.
The shutdown goaltending of Scott, a 16-year-old from Calgary, and three power-play goals from his Alberta teammates made all the difference in a 3-1 semifinal win over Manitoba at CN Centre.
Alberta will play for gold Sunday morning against either Ontario or Quebec.
"It's nice to get the win, it's all about results in this tournament and you just help the team by whatever means possible," said Scott. "I had lots of help. They had lots of power-play chances but our penalty killing shut them down and we had lots of power-play offence. It's been helping us all tournament and it's fun to watch them move the puck around pretty quick."
Scott was good when he had to be, right to the end. He shot out his leg to deny Logan Christensen's hard slapshot in the dying seconds, highlighting the kind of goaltending Scott has delivered throughout the tournament. Manitoba was hands-down the better team 5-on-5, but with the exception of Cayden Kraus's fluttering backhander in the first period, couldn't score on Scott, whose team was outshot 33-26.
Alberta went 3-for-5 on the power play, while Manitoba went scoreless in four PP chances.
"We had to win that specialty teams battle, it's been big for us throughout the tournament and it will continue to be big for us," said Alberta head coach Michael Dyck. "We also knew we were going to need good goaltending and we'll need it on Sunday as well and Ian has provided it for us. He's been that guy all along."
Alberta opened the scoring on the first power play of the game, 4:53 into the first period. Kyle Olson took the puck in deep and found the tape of Kobe Muir's stick in front and he fired in a high shot. Manitoba got that one back a few minutes later when Kraus took the puck off the boards at the blueline and let go a shot past Scott.
Manitoba owned the puck for much of the second period and forced Scott to make several tough saves to keep the game deadlocked at one apiece. Leif Mattson and Tyler Campbell each had great scoring chances denied. At the other end of the ice, Alberta's offence was stagnant, failing to register a shot until the period was almost half over.
But a couple of power plays late in the period gave the Albertans momentum and Manitoba eventually bent under the pressure. Jaret Anderson-Dolan, who led Alberta with four goals in the previous four games, kicked into passing gear carrying the puck in on the left wing and left it for Ethan McIndoe, standing at the post. His initial shot was stopped and with very little net showing he put the rebound through the gap between the post and leg of goalie Dylan Myskew.
"The penalties killed us, 5-on-5 we were up 1-0," said Manitoba captain Max Martin, a Prince George Cougars draft pick. "As a captain you lead your team through most games and at the end of a loss you feel you haven't done your job, but we still get to play for a medal and it's not the end of the world here."
Alberta was nursing a one-goal lead eight minutes into the third period when the power play went to work again. Zane Franklin fanned on his one-timer from the point but the puck skipped over to Josh Patterson, whose snapshot from the face-off circle found the net to make it 3-1. That goal was a killer.
"(Scott) played well and we knew that was going to be the difference and we needed to get lots of pucks on him but special teams were the difference in the game, in my opinion," said Manitoba head coach Wayne Bartley. "We took a couple of tripping penalties here and there and that was just being hard on the forecheck and their power play has been really good.
"It's going to sting for a bit here but we need to turn the page. There's still a medal on the line and that's our goal, to win bronze."
Manitoba will meet either Ontario or Quebec in the bronze medal game tonight (7:30 p.m., CN Centre). The gold-medal game is sold out, with a capacity crowd of close to 6,000 expected for the final sporting event of the Games. The game starts at 11:30 a.m. Sunday and will be broadcast live on TSN5.
"Alberta hasn't won this since 2003 and we're just ecstatic to get the opportunity to play for the gold medal," said Dyck. "We earned that chance and hopefully we'll take advantage of it."
