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

Boxscore

KIJHL Playoff Bracket