Friday 27 February 2015

Kimberley Dynamiters series schedule with Fernie Ghostriders

The following is the schedule for the Dynamiters series against the Ghostriders
  1. Sunday March 1st, 7:30pm in Fernie.
  2. Monday March 2nd, 7:30pm in Fernie.
  3. Wednesday March 4th, 7pm in Kimberley.
  4. Friday March 6th, 7pm in Kimberley.
  5. Saturday March 7th, 7:30pm in Fernie
  6. Monday March 9th, 7pm in Kimberley.
  7. Tuesday March 10th, 7:30pm  in Fernie.
Remember the Google calendar under the schedule tab has been updated.

Three Dynamiters win Eddie Mountain Division Awards

Jordan Busch - Top Defenseman

Coy Prevost - Top Rookie

Jason Richter - Top Scorer

Jason Richter - Most Valuable Player

Extra Recognition, Neil Rye won Gold & Bronze Medals at Special Olympics Games

All photos by Jonathan Righton

Kimberley Dynamiters & Creston Valley ThunderCats series Review

Photo by Jonathan Righton
The series between the Kimberley Dynamiters and Creston Valley ThunderCats was by far the lowest scoring series in the first round of the KIJHL Playoffs.

Scoring
13 goals were scored this series. That is an average 2.60 goals per game. Which is amazing considering both teams were averaging above 6 goals per game during the regular season. Nine goals were scored by the Dynamiters, 6 PPG, 1 SHG and 2 even strength. The ThunderCats scored four goals, all at even strength.

Kimberley's scoring leader was Braden Saretsky with 2G & 2A over the five games.

Creston's scoring leader was Connor Ward with 2G over the five games.

Close Matches
Three of the five games were decided by one goal, and if you remove the EN goal in game 4; four of the five games were decided by one goal. Having such low scoring and close games, made for one helluva an entertaining series.

Goaltending
Was UNBELIEVABLE this series. Tyson Brouwer finished the series with a 0.78 GAA, .966 SV% and two shut outs in 307 minutes. Brock Lefebvre who started the series but was apparently injured in a practice, had a 1.31 GAA and a .952 SV% in 184 minutes. Mitchell Martell who came in as relief, maintained the pressure during his 117 minutes of play, posting a 2.05 GAA, & .923 SV%.

There have been 24 goalies that have so far played at least two games. When looking at the stats Brouwer & Lefebvre are 1 & 2 respectively in GAA, and Martell is 7th. They are in the exact same positions for SV%.

Defence
While there are no shot blocking stats, it was evident in this series. There has got to be so many black and blue players this series.

Farewell's
Creston has four players born in 1994, which means they just played their last KIJHL game.

  • Kyle Richter, the mid-season pick-up posted a stellar 31 points in 23 games. He didn't dress in games 4 & 5.
  • Connor Ward, posted 18 goals through 49 games, and led Creston in playoff scoring.
  • Connor Kidd, the Calgary native finished his third season with the Cats, posting 37 points in 40 games. 
  • Marcel Fuchs, the Cats captain has been consistent over his three KIJHL seasons. He only missed 6 games over that time span. Solid. He has committed to play for Selkirk College next year.
I wish those four players the best of luck in the future, whether they pursue hockey or not, and all the best!

Twitter Respect and Love

Kimberley Dynamiters hold off Creston Valley ThunderCats to win 2-1 and win the series

Photo by Jonathan Righton
Desperation hockey. Dynamiters want to end the series and kill all hope. The ThunderCats, with their four '94's, had nothing to lose. Both teams were prepped and ready (fans too) to give it their all on the ice. 673 in attendance.

Game Notes

  • Tyson Brouwer and Mitchell Martell went head to head
  • Campanella dressed for his first game of 2015, his last since December 6, 2014.
  • Injuries/Scratches: Van Steinburg, Mallard, Roy, Pagura
1st
The period was tightly played. Regardless of who was breaking in, there was always a stick on the way to break up the play, or a body in the way of a shot. Lane did have a moment of freedom and wired a wrist shot off the post and out of play. Both Martell and Brouwer were unbeatable this period. The Dynamiters led in shots 10-7.

2nd
The Dynamiters special teams kept clicking. A shot was wristed from the point and got caught up in a Cats d-man, before falling to the ice. Haase was able to regain control of the puck down low and wristed it past Martell. They play at this point was 4 on 3 with penalties that had been called. Later, as players started returning to the ice from the box, Wallace swatted in a rebound 4 seconds after Creston went on the PP. The goals were less than a minute a part. On the same PK, Hunt who was floating high got a break away, and was robbed by the toe of Martell.
Emotions increased, and the ref did a good job of making logical calls to keep both teams down. As noted, both teams were desperate. There was a moment when you could see Cats fans foaming, and the bench was upset. The Cats captain made contact with a Nitro players head, and the announcer declared that Fuchs was given 2 minutes and a game misconduct - which is such a terrible way to go out in such an important game. However, at the end of the period the announcer corrected his statement, that it was 2 and 10, not a game, which created relief.
The teams then traded PP opportunities to end the period. Dynamiters led 2-0, and had 12 shots to Creston's 9.

3rd
I have to admit some nerves about this period, with nothing left to lose, and 20 minutes remaining, I though play would get really chippy. But both teams were disciplined, and created an entertaining period. The Cats got on the board just 5 minutes into the period. Both teams went back and fourth, but the excitement came as the Cats pulled their goalie with 2 minutes left, and they sustained the pressure and kept the puck in the zone. Dynamiters were throwing themselves in front of the puck, and Brouwer made last line saves when needed. The Nitro's iced the puck several times, and had many moments where the puck got to the blue line, but Creston kept the play on side. The dying seconds dragged on as both teams used their time outs. Kimberley held on for the victory.

The Cats put on a stellar performance and a valiant effort. The Dynamiters move on to play Fernie Ghostriders.

Dynamite Player of the Game
Tyson Brouwer - 26 save performance

Honorable Mentions
Lincoln Lane - Resilient. He kept giving it his all, despite struggling to get the puck across the blue line to clear the zone, he continued to throw his body in front of the puck.
Justin Meier - I can understand why he is referred to a Tasmanian Devil. Plays with a lot of passion and energy, and uses his body to deliver heavy hits.
Eric Buckley - got crunched at the start of the game, helped off the ice, and returned later.

Further Reading

Wednesday 25 February 2015

Kimberley Dynamiters win 3-1 to take a 3-1 series lead over Creston Valley

In what was a big game for both teams, Creston could level series, or Kimberley could take a hold of the series, proved to be an entertaining tilt, with a lot of twists. 500 in attendance.

Game Notes
  • Impressive, yet sad, to see the ThunderCats raise money for a family who's daughter is diagnosed with cancer. Well done.
  • Congrats to Creston's Carson Cartwright on being the Eddie Mountain Division's Most Sportsmanlike Player.
  • A discussion started in the twitterverse that Creston had called up a reserve goalie. But there was no indication by Cats social media, press, or the KIJHL site that either Brock Lefebvre or Mitchell Martell were injured. Martell did start for Creston, and there are rumours (unconfirmed) that Lefebvre was injured prior to the game in a practice. Matell posted an impressive 13-5-1 record, with a 2.69 GAA, and .910 SV% and was ready to duel Tyson Brouwer at the other end.
  • Injuries/Scratches: Campanella, Rosolowsky, Roy (injured last game)
  • I was planning on being at this game, but my wife's schedule trumped mine, so I watched online
1st
The Cats were nailed with a boarding call 31 seconds into the period. The Dynamiters have scored 3 of their 4 goals this series on the PP. And they did so again on this PP, with Prevost scroing, assists to Saretsky and Haase. (I must add, props to the Creston score keeper for updating the online boxscore during the period, not just at the end of the period or end of the game.) A minute after scoring, Prevost took a penalty. But the PK continued it's hard work ethic and killed the PP. There was a trend by the Cats, and a risk, that they were trying lengthy stretch and lob passes. It resulted in a lot of icing calls, but it paid off when Mallard tried reaching for a lob pass, that he knocked down, but landed on the stick of Ward. Mallard was caught flat footed. Ward broke in and tied the game. The remainder of the period, while entertaining, was a stale mate. The period ended in a draw, with Creston leading in shots 9-6. With two goals in the period, it was the highest scoring period of the series.

2nd
Brouwer continued his stellar play as he turned away chance after chance. There was even some lady luck as the Cats missed an opportunity during a scramble play. The Nitro's got another PP opportunity. Buckley came streaking down the middle, passed the puck to Saretsky on the wing, and then Saretsky passed it back, a nice give and go play, and Buckley put it past Martell. The Cats had a chance to get back in the game with a PP chance of their own. The Dynamiters took a 2-1 lead into the intermission, with an edge in shots 11-9.

3rd
The webcast. We saw centre ice for the first portion of the period. The play-by-play was hacking, snorting, and burping (I assume he has that annoying cold that is going around). So it made the first part of the period frustrating to watch, but the jersey that he was wearing made up for it, and overall, I love how intense he gets when the Cats get chances, you can feel the emotions. The Cats got two more PP opportunities, but the Nitro's stayed perfect in their PK efforts. The Cats pulled their goalie and had several great opportunities, but Brouwer and the D made great saves. Saretsky broke in alone as time was ticking down and shot the puck, I thought after the buzzer went, into the net and scored the 3rd goal of the game. The Nitro's had a slight edge in shots, 9-8.

The series now shifts to Kimberley for Game 5. The Dynamiters now have the difficult task of closing out a series. And the Cats will fight to play another game.

Dynamite Player of the Game
Braden Saretsky - 3pt night. Made nice passes that led to goals. Scored the EN.

Honourable Mentions
Tyson Brouwer - 23 save performance. Went nearly 130 minutes of game time without letting in a goal.
Jordan Busch - always calm and collected when handling the puck in his own end.
Eric Buckley - to see him score after being roughed up, and targeted by the ref, was great! Overcame a lot of adversity. His goal was the eventual GWG.

Further Reading

Tuesday 24 February 2015

Kimberley Dynamiters shut Creston out for second game in a row to take 2-1 series lead

With the series tied at 1, the Dynamiters traveled to Creston in hopes of taking back home ice advantage. 600 piled into Creston's arena wearing blue.

Game Notes
  • Tyson Brouwer and Brock Lefebvre went head to head (IMO its the best goalie duel in the playoffs)
  • Injuries/Scratches: Dagostin, Campanella, Pagura
1st
For those of us watching online, the first period was a frustrating experience. For a good couple of minutes while play was happening, we saw centre ice. And then during game play, the camera would drift upwards to the rafters - besides that, the webcast was passionate. The teams were going end to end, exchanging chances, and both goalies matched the intensity. Penalties have been the demise of Creston in the series (they play excellent 5-on-5), it has been their chink in their armor, and Kimberley found it again. Richter dashed into the zone, fed the puck to Saretsky who fired it in from the slot. The Dynamiters survived a short burst to end the period as the Cats tried to even the game. The Dynamiters led 1-0, and 12-8 in shots.

2nd
This period was uneventful until the last five minutes. Nothing against the previous 15 it was, as the series has been, hard fought. However, in a scramble play in front of Lefebvre, the Dynamiters squeezed the puck through. The play, though, was whistled dead just moments before the puck crossing the line, so the goal was waved off. On the ensuing shifts, tempers rose and four minors and one major were handed out with 36 seconds left in the game. Creston led in shots this period 10-7.

3rd
Desperation hockey began. Creston was taking the hits, and creating chances with their speed. But they couldn't solve Brouwer. Well, they did, and that goal was waved off because a high-stick made contact. Which I could sympathize with the pain. For a moment Creston, and the 600 fans in the arena, thought the game was tied... and then it wasn't. The Creston fans, and I am sure the bench too, was not thrilled with the decision. The Dynamiters had their share of chances as well, but couldn't beat Lefebvre. With 1:03 left in the game, the Cats pulled their goalie, and got an excellent chance when the Dynamiters iced the puck with just over 8 seconds left. The Dynamiters cleared the zone, and held onto their 1-0 lead for the victory. The shots were 6-4 for the Nitro's this period.

The Dynamiters have now played 120 minutes of hockey without letting in a goal, and now have a 2-1 series lead. The teams face off Tuesday night. The game is huge for both teams. Kimberley wins, they have a 3-1 lead heading home. Creston wins, it's 2-2, and becomes a best of three series.

Dynamite Player of the Game
Tyson Brouwer - 22 save performance. More rubber would have come his way had the defenders not been in the way.

Honorable Mentions
Brady Revie - There was a moment when he was heading off for a change, but was stopped by a Creston player who hit him. Revie absorbed the hit and stood his ground until he could get off for a change.
Jason Richter - created several chances, and assisted on the lone goal of the game.
Braden Saretsky - capitalized in the slot for the eventual GWG.
Coy Prevost - his shot block with 8 seconds left and eventual into neutral zone chip got the puck out of the zone with play winding down
THE WHOLE DEFENSIVE SQUAD - shot block after shot block.

Further Reading
Boxscore
Taylor Rocca write up

Sunday 22 February 2015

The Kimberley Dynamiters shut the door on the Thundercats with a 2-0 win, even series

Photo by Jodi L'Heureux
After game one's intensity, there was a lot of anticipation for game two of this seven game series. However there wasn't the same energy in this game as game one. Game one was intense and fast paced, game two however felt angry, just plain angry. I can only assume, but the Dynamiters were with losing game one on home ice, and the Thundercats matched the anger.

Game Notes

  • Tyson Brouwer got the start in net
  • Scratches/Injuries: Dagostin, Campanella, Rosolowsky
  • Referee: new, but hometown is Creston. While I admit it shouldn't matter where the ref is from; you could see Creston getting upset with questionable officiating if the ref was from Kimberley.
1st
The game started off ugly. The Cats charged the net and Brouwer got bowled over, not just knocked down, but knock off the keepers helmet, type of bowled over. Of course pushing and shoving occurred after, and only the Nitro's Meier came out with the penalty. This just fueled the anger in the Dynamiters (and their fans). The PK unit threw their bodies in front of the puck. Minutes later the Cats got a penalty of their own, and the Dynamiters made them pay. Jowsey fired a shot from the point and Prevost got a stick on it, redirecting the puck in. As the period went on, and the Cats were now down, fueling their anger, there was a lot of jousting and jabbing going on after the whistle. The period ended with the Dynamiters up 1-0, and leading in shots 7-5.

2nd
Early in the period, the Cats blocked a shot (something that happened more by them this game than last, imo), and it led to a break away chance. Creston fans leaned forward, and Nitro fans closed their eyes... but Brouwer absolutely robbed the player, snagging the shot in his glove. The defenders quickly congratulated and thanked Brouwer for bailing them out. The Dynamiters then scored on a scramble play in front of the net, the goal light went on, the Dynamiters celebrated, but the ref who was on the blueline waved the goal off (the third in two games waved off, 2 of them were scramble plays), even after a lengthy discussion with the goal judge and a linesman. Later the Cats got themselves in an awkward position when they took two penalties and gave the Nitro's a 5-3. Marchi fired one from the point, and all of a sudden the puck was in, and Richter celebrated since he deflected the puck in. As the period ended, a piece of lumber was slashed in half, which led to off setting minor penalties. The Cats led in shots 13-7, but Kimberley was up 2-0.

3rd
The ice continued to be a war zone. There was a comical, but hardworking moment, where Van Steinburg went east to west about three times to keep the puck hemmed in Creston's zone. It was frustrating to watch Buckley be hammered in front of the opponents net, and nothing be called. He just took it. He gave a shot back, and was immediately called for cross-checking. With time ticking down on the PP, the Cats pulled their goalie. Right when the penalty ended, they did a speedy line-change to get the goalie back in the net. As time ticked down, the Nitro's kept dumping the puck on the Creston goalie hoping to get a face-off in the attacking zone. With 40 seconds left, Creston did their final push with the net empty. But the Nitro's did everything in their power to keep the puck out of their net and get themselves the 2-0 victory over the Cats. The Dynamiters led in shots this period, 11-9.

The series now shifts to Creston for the next two games, with the series level at 1, meaning it becomes a best of 5 series.

Dynamite Player of the Game
Tyson Brouwer - I'm definitely agreeing with Coach Bancks, that any teams MVP during the playoffs is their goalie, because you won't get anywhere with out stellar goaltending. Brouwer made 27 saves for the shut out.

Honorable Mentions
Coy Prevost - tipped in the GWG

Further Reading

Saturday 21 February 2015

Kimberley Dynamiters lose game one in OT

Photo by Jonathan Righton
Game one of the Kimberley Dynamiters and Creston Valley Thundercats lived up to the competitive expectations, heck, even exceeded it. The atmosphere was excellent, the players were giving it their all, and the goaltending was stellar! ...Just the game didn't end as a Nitro's Fan would hope. But still, you left the game satisfied, no matter which side you were cheering for.

Game Notes
  • The rivalry between the two teams been brewing since the Dynamiters won 7-3 on home ice. Add on top of that the Cats renting out the Civic Centre for a practice earlier in the week.
  • Tyson Brouwer and Brock Lefebvre got the starts in net
  • Injuries/Scratches: Pagura, Revie, Campanella
  • 589 in attendance
1st
It was fast and furious hockey with action at both ends of the rink. Every inch of the ice was being contested for, and both teams were finishing their hard hits. Fans from Creston were in attendance, which made the atmosphere even more dynamic and exciting. Meier was in the game, despite the double game misconduct by the same ref in the last game. But still the ref, who has an eye for Meier, was able to penalize him. The Dynamiters PK unit did an excellent job of blocking shots, cutting off angles, and limiting chances. The period finished level, with score tied at 0, and shots tied at 7.

2nd
The Dynamiters scored the first goal... actually it was waved off due to a high-stick. There wasn't an overwhelming reaction to the goal being waved off by the fans. And I didn't have a great view from my vantage point to comment. Moments later Creston broke in and Cartwright scored. Kimberley kept crashing the net, which led to several "after the whistle" calls. Wallace and Richter crashed the net, and got tangled up. Meier drove to the net, alone as linemates were changing, and drew an penalty as he was 1 against 5. Later Hunt kept digging for a puck, that eventually crossed the line, but was called off and Hunt was penalized. The frantic period, with inconsistent calls (my pet peeve), ended with the Cats up 1-0, but with the Nitro's throwing a lot of rubber at Lefebvre and leading in shots 9-3. Lefebvre was stealing the show.

3rd
The Nitro's scored just two minutes into the period. But this is how the goal looked to me, Jowsey fanned on a shot, then lined up again, lobbed it at the net and Prevost deflected it. What is reported on the score sheet is that Roy scored from Prevost and Hunt. All I can think is the puck must have been deflected several times before going past Lefebve. Later in a split second when I looked away from the play, Buckley lay awkwardly with feet up on the boards. He moved his arms and legs, but not much else. When a trainer came out and supported his neck, I feared the worse. But Buckley did eventually get up with help, and he did return to the game later in the period. When the game hit ten minutes left, you could feel the whole arena holding their breath and exhaling with a stoppage in play. Despite many chances, Brouwer and Lefebvre sealed up their nets for the remainder of the period. The Nitro's led in shots 12-8.

OT
With a short two minute break, both teams skated for the first 10-minute period (which if I remember correctly, if the game did not end in that 10 minutes there would be a lengthier intermission for the ice to be cleaned). Both teams were cautious, but capitalized on any chance they got. Brouwer and Lefebvre were both diving and flopping around keeping the puck out. The referee had put his whistle away. But as the period went on, you could see the players testing how much they could get away with. And the pinnacle of this was when Van Steinburg was crashing towards the net with the puck being delivered his way, his stick wasn't just lifted off the ice, his whole body was hooked off the ice and he was taken out of the play, giving the Cats a noticeable advantage (think of soccer, when a penalty isn't called because there was no advantage from the infraction, but in this case there was). Ward got a break away chance and made no mistake as he found the back of the net. And even though the game was in Kimberley, the arena erupted! (the Creston presence). And Creston took a 1-0 lead in the series.

The two teams face off again tonight. If last night was any indication, tonight's game will be great as well!

Even though the Dynamiters are down 1-0, they played an excellent game, and in my opinion the Cats MVP of the game Lefebvre played a near perfect game.

Dynamite Player of the Game (Changing it up from Nitro's Player of the Game, I think Dynamite Player sounds catchier!)
Tyson Brouwer and the defence - There were a lot of shots directed towards Brouwer, and only 20 of them made their way to him. There would have been a lot more if they were not blocked or redirected by the defenders

Further Reading

Thursday 19 February 2015

Playoff Musings & Predictions

Trying to keep my heart out of these predictions, because obviously I would pick Kimberley to win it all. So in trying to stick with the facts, these are my predictions for the 2015 KIJHL Playoffs.

Division Winners
  • Okanagan Division: Osoyoos Coyotes - 1st in Division, 1st in Conference, 1st in KIJHL, 1st in Power Rankings
  • Doug Birks Division: Chase Heat - 2nd in Division, 3rd in Conference, 9th in KIJHL, 5th in Power Rankings
  • Neil Murdoch Division: Beaver Valley Nitehawks - 1st in Division, 2nd in Conference, 3rd in KIJHL, 4th in Power Rankings
  • Eddie Mountain Division: Fernie Ghostriders - 1st in Division, 1st in Conference, 2nd in KIJHL, 3rd in Power Rankings
Conference Winners
  • Okanagan/Shushwap Conference: Osoyoos Coyotes
  • Kootenay Conference: Fernie Ghostrders
League Champions
  • Osoyoos Coyotes - in the past if a team was the top Power Ranked team and top in team the KIJHL, they won the league title.
Dark Horses
  • Kootenay Conference: Kimberley Dynamiters - 2nd in Division, 3rd in Conference, 4th in KIJHL, 2nd in Power Rankings.
    • The Dynamiters are poised to be a team that could deliver surprises and upsets at the Division and Conference level. Come into playoffs with 10 game winning streak.
  • Okanagan/Shushwap Conference: Summerland Steam - 2nd in Division, 3rd in Conference, 8th in KIJHL, 7th in Power Ranking
Team that could prove me wrong
  • Kamloops Storm - 1st in Division, 2nd in Conference, 5th in KIJHL, 6th in Power Rankings
    • They could emerge as tops from their division
Coming in Hot! (Super Dark Horse)
  • 100 Mile House - Hottest team on Power Rankings coming into the Playoffs. 3rd in Division, 5th in Conference, 10th in KIJHL, 15th in Power Rankings (+10pts from previous month)
    • They could possibly disrupt my pick, especially with the top ranked fan base KIJHL.

Wednesday 18 February 2015

Comparing Eddie Mountain 2014/15 Predictions with Reality

At the start of the 2014/15 season I made the following prediction:
  1. Kimberley Dynamiters
  2. Creston Valley Thundercats
  3. Fernie Ghostriders
  4. Golden Rockets
  5. Columbia Valley Rockies
But the actual standings was as follows:
  1. Fernie Ghostriders
  2. Kimberley Dynamiters
  3. Creston Valley Thundercats
  4. Golden Rockets
  5. Columbia Valley Rockies
Well, I got two right! Just as I had hoped for! Improvement over last year. And if you look, you just bump Fernie to the top, and the order is accurate. So I was kind of close. But I will take 40% accuracy this year.

Playoff Preview: (2) Kimberley Dynamiters vs (3) Creston Valley Thunder Cats


Kimberley DynamitersvsCreston Valley Thunder Cats
32-14-2-1-3Record28-18-1-5
5-1-0-2Head to Head3-4-0-1
2ndFan Base7th
3rd (4.35)Offence (GFA)10th (3.31)
4th (2.77)Defence (GAA)8th (3.02)
11th (0.904)Goaltending (SV%)7th (0.907)
2nd (23.85%)Power Play13th (16.43%)
3rd (87.38%)Penalty Kill15th (80.19%)
4thPower Ranking11th
Richter, Saretsky, Busch, Haase Top Clutch ScorersNone in Top 25
30.83%Top 3 Dependence32.18%
Jason Richter (39G-31A)Top ScorerCarson Cartwright (31G-30A)
Braden Saretsky (19G-35A)2nd Top ScorerAlec Wilkinson (11G-40A)
Coy Prevost (14G-35A)3rd Top ScorerLien Miller-Jeannotte (12G-25A)
Eric Buckley (103)PIM LeaderMason Mazur (92)

Top 25 KIJHL Clutch Scorers - February 18, 2015

For those new to the clutch scoring, I look at PPG, PPA, SHG, SHA and GWG and give the goals a preference of two points. It helps me, statistically, see who is performing offensively well in clutch situations, the power-play, short-handed, and scoring the game winning goal.

This list is different from the KIJHL League Leaders, because this race (while similar) ended closely between three players. See below!

I'm also feeling this urge to brag, that while the Nitro's no longer have two players in the top 10, we have 4 in the top 25!

# PLAYER TEAM PPGx2 PPA SHGx2 SHA GWx2 TOTAL
1 Jason Richter Kimberley Dynamiters 32 9 4 2 10 57
2 Kaleb Boyle Chase Heat 32 14 0 0 8 54
3 Aaron Azevedo Osoyoos Coyotes 22 15 2 5 6 50
4 Tyler Chavez Leech  Revelstoke Grizzlies 32 12 0 0 0 44
5 Troy Maclise  Osoyoos Coyotes 20 14 4 1 4 43
6 Robson Cramer  Nelson Leafs 18 18 0 2 4 42
7 Cody Hodges Chase Heat 8 20 4 0 8 40
8 Felix Larouche Kamloops Storm 20 12 0 0 4 36
9 Jack Mills Summerland Steam 20 10 2 0 4 36
10 Steven Fiust  Revelstoke Grizzlies 24 12 0 0 0 36
11 Tyson Klingspohn Summerland Steam 10 14 8 0 4 36
12 Braeden Cyra Kelowna Chiefs 8 24 2 1 0 35
13 Braden Saretsky Kimberley Dynamiters 8 11 10 1 4 34
14 Jordan Busch Kimberley Dynamiters 8 21 2 2 0 33
15 Ross Armour  Beaver Valley Nitehawks 18 10 0 1 4 33
16 Keenan Haase  Kimberley Dynamiters 18 4 2 0 8 32
17 Rainer Glimpel Osoyoos Coyotes 8 12 6 1 4 31
18 Austin Turner  100 Mile House Wranglers 18 8 0 0 4 30
19 Colten Braid Osoyoos Coyotes 16 2 2 0 10 30
20 Braydon Horcoff Beaver Valley Nitehawks 8 9 4 0 8 29
21 Josh Kobelka  Kelowna Chiefs 22 5 0 0 2 29
22 Trevor Okino Chase Heat 6 19 0 0 4 29
23 Matt MacDonald Nelson Leafs 16 9 0 1 2 28
24 Mitch Foyle Beaver Valley Nitehawks 8 4 6 0 10 28
25 Taylor Stafford Beaver Valley Nitehawks 12 8 0 2 6 28

Tuesday 17 February 2015

KIJHL Power Rankings - February 17, 2015

It's the season finale power rankings! In the coming days I will be doing further stats posting as we get ready for the KIJHL Playoffs!! (Wahoo!!)

But let's get to the now, there has been some shifts since last month. There are two hot teams, Revelstoke Grizzlies and 100 Mile House Wranglers, both teams were trapped in a heated playoff push in the Doug Birks division. Unfortunately Revelstoke didn't make it, despite being hot. The coldest team is the Nelson Leafs who have been in a tailspin since their HC and GM were suspended due to playing an ineligible skater.

The Osoyoos Coyotes remain tops, and almost to perfection, being #1 in every category, except Special Teams, thanks to Kimberley. Speaking of Kimberley, the Dynamiters dethroned the Fernie Ghostriders of their hold on the #2 spot. - All of this will make for an interesting playoff story!

Anyway, here are the final power rankings for the 2014/15 season.


Monday 16 February 2015

Kimberley Dynamiters finish season with 10 game winning streak

The season finale for the Dynamiters was epic, and bizarre, as the Dynamiters were challenged by the visiting Golden Rockets (and referee) but came out on top with a 3-2 victory.

Game Notes

  • Tyson Brouwer got the start in net
  • It's believed the referee was from Creston (insert conspiracy here)
  • Injuries/Scratches: Busch, Campanella, Revie
1st
The Dynamiters had their hands full with a Rockets team that was bent on sending a message. The two teams jostled for the period. The Dynamiters scored, but the net came off, so the goal was disallowed, but the Rockets were penalized for the play. The period ended in a draw, but the Dynamiters led in shots: 13-4. 

2nd
The Nitro's kept trying to feed Richter the puck so he could get the single point needed to tie the KIJHL league leading scorer, but Viberg was up to the task (if Viberg plays how he did this game, the Ghostriders are in tough). Meier broke the draw, as he fired one from the slot. The Rockets responded ferociously as they scored two quick goals in less than a minute, the arena was quiet. Penalties started mounting up for both sides, as emotions started seeping into the game. The Dynamiters got a PP chance, and none other than Jason Richter scored on the PP, tying him for the league lead. As the period drew to an end Saretsky potted one, but I swear that Richter touched the puck as he directed it towards Saretsky from Wallace, but apparently it didn't happen (insert conspiracy here). The Dynamiters took a 3-2 lead into the intermission, and lead in shots 17-10.

3rd
While there wasn't much scoring, the officiating stole the show in this period. For me, the referee needs to be present and aware during the game play, but also needs to not get emotionally sucked into a game, which is hard to do (I say this as someone who has refereed basketball and volleyball, I realize not hockey, it's hard to stay present and not get emotionally charged). But it appeared emotions got the best of the players and the referee. First with Meier. Meier was given a 2, 10, 10, game and a game. That's 22 PIM and two games in one moment. The reason for the games, well, Meier shook his head when there was confusion about who was serving what for the penalties handed out. When Meier was given a game for that, as would anyone, he responded with shock (of course from my vantage point I get one side of the story), and for his shock of getting a game for shaking his head, he was dealt another game misconduct. I've never seen anything like it, that's an official who got emotionally into the game. The next is Saretsky. He was dealt a cross-checking penalty for five minutes, but then because of the reaction of the Rockets bench, and because of the awkwardness of the hit, Saretsky was dealt a game. It wasn't a coinciding decision, it was an oh sugar-honey-iced-tea emotional call, getting sucked into the emotions. The Rockets player did skate out the remainder of the game. Any way! Suffice it to say, the Dynamiters faced adversity from the official in the third period, but held onto their lead, winning 3-2.

With the win the Dynamiters finished the season ranked 3rd in the conference, and 4th in the league.
Jason Richter finished the season playing in all 52 games, #IronMan, and tied for league lead in points, and tops in goals.
Tyson Brouwer became the top Dynamiters goalie for wins in a season

Nitro's Player of the Game
Braden Saretsky - 1G 1A, including GWG

Honourable Mentions
Jason Richter - 1G

Further Reading

Sunday 15 February 2015

It's Game Day! Kimberley Dynamiters vs Golden Rockets


Kimberley DynamitersvsGolden Rockets
31-14-2-1-3Record23-23-0-5
67Points51
2ndDivision Standing4th
3rd (4.37)Offence (GFA)9th (3.35)
5th (2.78)Defence (GAA)17th (3.96)
14th (0.899)Goaltending (SV%)16th (0.895)
1st (24.35%)Power Play16th (13.21%)
3rd (87.06%)Penalty Kill8th (84.29%)
4thPower Ranking15th
W9StreakW1
9-0-1-0Last 103-7-0-0
Jason Richter (37G-30A)Top ScorerIan Desrosier (31G-24A)
Braden Saretsky (17G-32A)2nd Top ScorerCole McKechney (16G-36A)
Coy Prevost (14G-33A)3rd Top ScorerBraeden Allkins (22G-24A)
Eric Buckley (99)PIM LeaderSean Ripley (117)

Kimberley Dynamiters win their last road game of the 2014/15 season

The Kimberley Dynamiters faced off against the Grand Forks Border Bruins for the second time, after defeating them 9-0 at home. This time the Nitro's were in Grand Forks, and played a good game against the Bruins who had an extra jump in their skate because they had family and friends in the audience.

Game Notes

  • Brody Nelson got the start in net.
  • This was the Dynamiters last road game of the regular season.
  • Injuries/Scratches: Wallace, Campanella, Tr. van Steinburg, Pagura
  • The Bruins have injury problems, and their starting goalie is a reserve, and playing in their second game in the KIJHL. Not to mention being really young.
1st
The game started off slow, as both teams were fighting over neutral zone space. But then after the midway point, the Nitro's poured it on. Meier found a loose puck in the slot and fired it in. Lane, playing against his past team (played there 72 games), scored giving the Nitro's a 2-0 lead. Later, while short-handed, Roy gave the Nitro's a 3-0 lead. The period ended with the Dynamiters having a 12-3 lead in shots.

2nd
Haase opened the scoring early. Richter scored moments later as he danced in and fired a shot from the high slot. Haase scored his second of the game. Lane then broke in with Saretsky, Lane slammed on the breaks and passed the puck to Saretsky who had a down low breakaway, tucking it nicely past the goalie, giving the Dynamiters a 7-0 lead. Grand Forks then scored, and there was much celebration as they got on the board, breaking Nelson's bid for a shutout, and with so many fans. The Nitro's tried to deflate the arena after the goal as either Kinnon scored from Saretsky, or Saretsky tipped in Kinnon's shot (can't verify as the boxscore hasn't been updated as of 9:30 MST). Then the Bruins got a breakaway, were hauled down and got a penalty shot opportunity. The player celebrated as if he had scored when he was awarded the penalty shot. McDonald (I believe) scored on the penalty shot, and the arena and bench erupted. With the energy in the arena, the Bruins scored their third goal of the game. The period ended with 8 goals, (5 for Nitro's, 3 for Bruins), and with Kimberley having a slight edge in shots, 11-10.

3rd
The Dynamiters did a great job of holding the fort, not letting the Bruins feed off the energy. The Dynamiters didn't gain any ground, or lose any ground, they stayed strong and held onto their 8-3 lead. The Dynamiters closed out the third period of their last road game with an 8-3 victory, and led in shots 13-10 in the period.

Nitro's Player of the Game
Kenaan Haase - 2G, and was a force down low for the Bruins to handle

Honorable Mentions
Lincoln Lane - 1G 1A
Braden Saretsky - Either 2G 1A OR 1G 2A

Further Reading

Saturday 14 February 2015

It's Game Day! Kimberley Dynamiters at Grand Forks Border Bruins


Kimberley DynamitersvsGrand Forks Border Bruins
30-14-2-1-3Record8-38-1-3
65Points20
2ndDivision Standing5th
3rd (4.30)Offence (GFA)19th (2.44)
5th (2.78)Defence (GAA)20th (5.54)
14th (0.899)Goaltending (SV%)20th (0.829)
2nd (24.35%)Power Play19th (11.00%)
3rd (87.06%)Penalty Kill20th (75.00%)
4thPower Ranking20th
W8StreakL15
9-0-1-0Last 100-10-0-0
Jason Richter (37G-29A)Top ScorerMatt Lucero (13G-20A)
Braden Saretsky (17G-32A)2nd Top ScorerTucker Brown (7G-15A)
Coy Prevost (14G-33A)3rd Top ScorerKyle Doak (7G-9A)
Eric Buckley (99)PIM LeaderTucker Brown (97)

Wednesday 11 February 2015

Kimberley Dynamiters 1st Round Playoff Schedule vs Creston Valley Thunder Cats

Here is the schedule for the upcoming first round between the Kimberley Dynamiters and the Creston Valley Thunder Cats

The Google calendar under the 2014/15 Schedule tab has been updated, so you can easily add to your own calendar!
  1. Fri., Feb. 20 at Kimberley
  2. Sat., Feb. 21 at Kimberley
  3. Mon., Feb. 23 at Creston
  4. Tues., Feb. 24 at Creston
  5. Thurs., Feb. 26 at Kimberley* 
  6. Fri., Feb. 27 at Creston*
  7. Sat., Feb. 28 at Kimberley*
The * means if necessary

You can read Taylor Rocca's of the Kimberley Bulletin write up on the opening series.

Sunday 8 February 2015

Kimberley Dynamiters win 8th straight, with a dominating 9-0 win over Grand Forks Border Bruins

The Dynamiter continued their winning ways as the Grand Forks Border Bruins visited town. Both teams are on opposite ends of the spectrum with the Border Bruins losing their past 12, and the Dynamiter winning 9 of their past 10.

Game Notes
  • Tyson Brouwer got the start
  • Injuries/Scratches: Wallace, Campanella, Revie
  • Lincoln Lane played with the Trail Smoke Eaters yesterday
1st
The Dynamiters jumped out to a quick lead scoring 35 seconds into the game. Busch later came dashing in along the boards and lobbed one at the goalie, which he thought he had grabbed, but it snuck behind him and in the net. The Dynamites had a 2-0 lead, and had 18 shots to the Border Bruins 5.

During the intermission, they tried to solve the score clock, that once again had a personality of its own.



2nd
The Dynamiters scored seven goals on 12 shots this period. Lane scored the 3rd of the game as he came in with speed. Haase scored the 4th up high. Van Steinburg took a beauty pass from Saretsky to give the Nitro's a 5-0 lead. Rosolowsky scored on a break, the 6th goal for the Nitro's. Prevost got the 7th on a broken play. Hunt got the 8th goal. Lastly, Marchi scored on the PP. The Dynamiters led 9-0 by the end of the period, and led in shots 12 to 7.

3rd
Tempers started rising, no fights, but definitely extra shoves after the whistle. Kinnon and Dagostin delivered some heavy hits. The period was skated out, but drawn out. Dynamiters led 7-5 in shots.

Thirteen of 18 skaters registered a point, with only 8 getting multiple points (2 got 3 points). The scoring was spread across all lines.

Nitro's Player of the Game
Jason Richter - 1G 2A. Got the scoring going, and helped the scoring continue with his helpers. This tied him for 1st in the KIJHL scoring race.

Honorable Mentions
Trevor van Steinburg - KIJHL Star of the Game, 1G
Braden Saretsky - 3A
Jared Marchi - 1G (has 6pts in 5 games since returning)
Jordan Busch - 1G 1A
Tyson Brouwer - 17 saves for the shutout

Further Reading
Boxscore

2014/15 Bloggers Choice Award

It was a great to be at the Kimberley Dynamiters Award and Volunteer Recognition Dinner last night. I had the opportunity to hand out the Bloggers Choice Award to Coy Prevost.

This was the little blurb I had planned to say, if I had the chance, but didn't, that I will share here:
"The player that I chose this year started the year off as a scorer, and then as line mates changed, he adjusted to a play making role. As the season went along, he found out that it wasn't just opposing teams goalies and defenders that made it hard to get on the score sheet, but our very own score keepers (cough Jodi L'Hereux cough). I present this years Bloggers Choice Award to Coy Prevost"

2014/15 Kimberley Dynamiters Awards

Last night was the Kimberley Dynamiters Award & Volunteer Banquet dinner. The following are the awards that were given out, and as Coach Bancks said (in my words), as much as this is an individual recognition the team helped you get where you are. All photos by Jodi L'Hereux:

Most Inspirational: Jason Richter

Most Sportsmanlike: James Jowsey

Most Improved Forward: Kenaan Haase

Most Improved Defenseman: Rory Mallard

Best Defenseman: Jordan Busch

Most Popular (Fan Favourite): Jared Marchi

Scholastic: Jesse Wallace

Rookie of the Year: Coy Prevost

Leading Scorer: Jason Richter

Coaches Award: Tyler Kinnon & Tyson Brouwer

20 Year Old Recognition: James Jowsey

Bloggers Choice: Coy Prevost

Extra Coaches Recognition: Eric Buckley

Team MVP: Jason Richter