The Kimberley Dynamiters added two more wins to their record after another at-home double header, which saw them host and defeat the Nelson Leafs and the Columbia Valley Rockies.
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Head Coach and general manger Derek Stuart said that in Friday’s game against Nelson, the Dynamiters were lucky to be able to come back with the 4-3 overtime win.
“Friday was a physical game, kind of what we expect from Nelson, but I thought our guys did a really good job answering the bell physically,” Stuart said. “Unfortunately we only played one period — the last two periods we kind of coasted and went through the motions but luckily we were able to come back in overtime to get a win.”
On Saturday, the Dynamiters showed good control over the game, outshooting the Rockies 38-25 and executing solid penalty kills, strong defence and excellent goal keeping from Adam Anderson.
“It might not have been the prettiest or the most entertaining hockey tonight but again it’s the second game in two nights early in the year,” Stuart said. “For the guys right now they’re not in perfect game shape, of course, but I thought they did a really good job in the first period, or the first ten minutes. And then again, a little bit of a lull in the second, but the third period I thought was our best period.”
The first goal of the game came at just under three minutes into the first from Kimberley’s #12 Beau Larson. The Rockies answered back shortly after and then following a high sticking penalty against Dynamiters forward Austin Daniels, Kimberley played great defence to kill the penalty and a goal from Brock Palmer came soon after.
The Rockies tied it back up at 2-2 at 9.17 into the second period, but the Dynamiters soon reclaimed their lead with a power play goal, Larson’s second of the game and the Nitros were headed into the third with a 2-3 lead.
“We gave them one goal, one focus in the third, that was to outwork Columbia Valley because I thought they kind of outworked us in the second period,” Stuart said. “So in the third period our goal was to outwork them and not make any selfish plays and I thought the guys did a great job of that.”
The Rockies applied some serious pressure in the third, keeping the puck in the Kimberley end. The Rockies pulled their goalie with 1.46 left on the clock, which gave Palmer the opportunity to score his second goal of the game on the empty net, for a final score of 3-2.
On Tuesday the Nitros will be facing off against the Ghostriders in Fernie and then will be back on home ice again on Friday, Sept. 27, hosting the Princeton Posse.
Stuart will be working with his team with quick, hard practises Monday and Thursday.
“I think we’re a little bit fortunate to be 4-0 but we’ll take it at this time of the year. We haven’t really played that good to be honest with you for a complete game yet,” he said.
“I don’t know what it is, but we seem to win games at home here an awful lot and we’re never in a panic mode here at home. We never think that a game is out of hand and we never think we’re not going to win a game. So I think the confidence here at home in front of our fans goes a long way.”
paul.rodgers@cranbrooktownsman.com
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