ILLCHUK SCORES WINNER TO SEND THRASHERS TO FINAL

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Brendyn Illchuk was the overtime hero, scoring 10:16 into the second extra period, as the Winnipeg Thrashers advanced to the gold medal game at the 2011 TELUS Cup with a 4-3 semifinal win over the Lions du Lac St-Louis on Saturday afternoon.

Illchuk picked up the puck off a won face-off by Regan Stire and slipped a shot through the legs ofFrançois Brassard to send the Thrashers to the final (Sunday, 4 p.m. NT) for the second time in four years –they lost the 2008 gold medal game to the Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves.

It’s also the eighth consecutive year that the West Region champions will play for TELUS Cup gold, dating back to 2004. Six of the first seven teams won the national title, all except the ’08 Thrashers.

Patrick Walsh opened the scoring for the Lions at the 7:37 mark of the first period, but Lac St-Louis found itself in a 3-1 hole just four minutes later thanks to goals from Tanner Quinn, Corey Petrash and Tyrenn Bauer in a span of 1:53.

But just like one day earlier, when Winnipeg blew a 3-1 lead and had to settle for a 3-3 draw withHalifax, the Thrashers allowed their opponents back into the game, and Lac St-Louis pulled even at 3-3 thanks to goals from Jonathan Drouin and Anthony Cortese 2:06 apart midway through the second period.

That would be it for scoring for the next 47 minutes, as both teams exchanged chances but could not get the go-ahead goal in regulation time, nor the game-winner in overtime, until Illchuk’s goal.

Lac St-Louis will meet the loser of Saturday’s second semifinal in Sunday’s bronze medal game (10 a.m.NT). The Lions have never failed to medal in their previous five trips to the national championship, winning two gold medals and three bronze.