The Winnipeg Ice are headed to the Western Hockey League Championship Series.
Briley Wood scored the game-winner with 13:41 left in the third period and the Ice finished off a sweep of the Saskatoon Blades Wednesday with a 3-2 win in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Championship.
Connor McClennon added two goals for Winnipeg, and now has 13 in the postseason, which leads the league.
It was in this round last year that the Ice were eliminated by the Edmonton Oil Kings, but the Winnipeg team was able to take the next step this season.
“From that point on, we talked about what we had to do to be a better playoff team, ” said Ice head coach James Patrick.
“We spent more time in the gym to get stronger as the year went on, because come playoff time, it’s 50-50 battles, it’s paying the price, it’s being heavy on the puck. I think in all those areas we were a better team this year than last year.”
The Ice trailed for the first time in this series after Saskatoon opened the scoring at the 15:08 mark of the first period, but McClennon would score his first of the game before the period was up.
The teams traded goals in the second period, before Wood’s go-ahead goal in the third.
Winnipeg forward Matthew Savoie added two assists and moves into a tie for the playoff lead in points with 27.
Ice goaltender Daniel Hauser made 16 saves in the win.
For the Ice franchise, it will be their fourth trip to the final and first since 2011. The Kootenay Ice won the title in 2000, 2002, and 2011.
Winnipeg will play the winner of the Western Conference Championship between the Seattle Thunderbirds/Kamloops Blazers. Seattle has a 2-1 lead in the series, which won’t be over until Saturday at the earliest.
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