The Kimberley Dynamiters celebrated Thanksgiving weekend by finding ways to win their two games this past weekend.
Before the game started on Friday against the Kamloops Storm, the Dynamiters recognized and hung a new banner for the 1978 Allan Cup Champions.
When the game started, the Nitros jumped to a quick one goal lead by Braiden Koran. As the period drew into its last quarter, Spencer Kennedy gave the Nitros a 2-0 lead. It seemed at this point that the Dynamiters thought they had won the game.
"That was our best stretch of the game, the first ten minutes." Head coach and general manager Derek Stuart said. "For some reason we just cruised after that."
The Storm responded, scoring two goals three minutes apart. And the first period ended in a 2-2 draw.
The Dynamiters got themselves into penalty trouble in the second. Kamloops scored on the power play taking a 3-2 lead.
Brandt Bertoia tied the game at three, after Neil Kingston sliding poke checked the puck to him.
"Credit goes to Kingo for that." Bertoia said. "His work ethic to get that puck over to me, it was beautiful. If I didn't score on that, I would feel bad, honestly."
The second too finished in a draw, 3-3.
The third continued to have penalty struggles, both teams getting their fair chances on the power play, neither one being able to take the lead.
It wasn't until their was 27 seconds left in the game that Kennedy scored his second power play goal.
The Dynamiters squeaked out a win.
"There was some good segments. Some good puck possession in their zone. There was was obviously some bad segments each period." Stuart said.
"We have to remind ourselves a little bit more as a staff, that we only have five guys that are 19 or 20.
"We have a very young team. We have a very inexperienced team. They are finding ways to win right now, and we need to give them credit for that."
Adam Andersen made 26 saves for the win, while Kennedy's two goal effort earned him star of the game honours.
Bertoia said there was one area the team needed to work on before their second game of the weekend: discipline.
"Our discipline is not there right now. It needs to improve, a lot.
On Saturday the Dynamiters prepared to face the Castlegar Rebels.
The Nitros drew first as Chad MciLwain scored. Eight seconds later, the Rebels tied it up.
Keegan McDowell gave the Dynamiters a lead with a power play goal. The first ended 2-1 for the Nitros.
In the middle frame, the Nitros continued their scoring ways. Carter Spring and Erik Delaire each tallied one goal. It was 4-1 for the Nitros.
The Rebels started to crawl back into the game with a power play goal. The Nitros came back with two power play goals of their own from Chase Gedny and Bertoia.
The final score would be 6-2 as Brett Anderson made 22 saves in the win.
"We played a full 60, a little blip in the third." Captain Gedny said after the game. "Other than that everybody was going. It was a fun game to play in."
"It's pretty easy to play good when everybody else around you is playing good."
It was a team effort as six players each scored a goal.
"I thought we were very good for the entire game." Stuart said. "That was probably our most complete game of the season."
"All 19 guys that played were really really good."
The Dynamiters sit on top of the Eddie Mountain Division with an 8-2 record. The Dynamiters next game is a rematch against the Castlegar Rebels in Castlegar on Friday. Saturday's game is a recreation of the 2018 KIJHL finals as the Nitros host the Revelstoke Grizzlies at the Civic Centre.
Lead photo by Jonathan Righton
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