The Kimberley Dynamiters took to the road last Friday to play the Castlegar Rebels, and then came home on Saturday for a rematch of the 2018 KIJHL Finals.
Neil Kingston opened the scoring in Castlegar, with a goal 90 seconds into the first period. A minute later, Braiden Koran gave the Nitros a 2-0 lead.
"Our first period was probably our best first period of the year." Head coach and general manager Derek Stuart said. "We probably we could have had five or six goals."
As the first period was ending, the Rebels got on the board.
Kingston then scored the only goal in the second, and then scored his hattrick goal to start the third.
"I was fortunate to get the bounces right off the bat. A lot of credit goes to Bertoia and McDowell, they played excellent." Kingston said.
"I don't get too many goals. I don't think I have ever scored a hattrick before. It's pretty special, it was a pretty special night."
Brock Palmer scored his second goal of the season to give the Nitros a 5-1 lead.
Castlegar, again in the final minute, scored to trail the Nitros by three.
Adam Andersen made 26 saves in the win, while Kingston was named the star of the game.
"It was a complete game." Stuart said. "It was a copycat game of last Saturday. We were really good in all areas for 90-95% of the game.
"It was a good team effort, and the consistency was where it needed to be."
Saturday, the undefeated Revelstoke Grizzlies came to town. A rematch of the 2018 KIJHL Finals.
"The coaches were probably more amped up for it than the players." Stuart smiled. "It was the same organizations that were in the finals last year, it was a completely different team."
Similar to the game against Castlegar, the Nitros scored early. This time it was Brandt Bertoia with the tally.
As the period waned, the Grizzlies tied the game up.
Captain Chase Gedny restored the Nitros one goal lead in the second.
In the same pattern as the first period, Revelstoke tied it up in the latter parts of the period.
In the third, the tables turned. The Grizzlies scored first in the third period with a power play goal to make it 3-2. Unfortunately the Nitros couldn't get it back.
"We gave them power play opportunities for free. We were undisciplined. They scored two goals on the power play. Including the winner." Stuart said. "If we didn't take those penalties, we outplayed them, out chanced them, out skated them, and out hit them. We shot ourselves in the foot with the penalties.
"Hopefully we have learned our lesson."
Andersen made 21 saves in the loss, while Bertoia was named the star of the game.
The Dynamiters now get ready for divisional rivals to come to town. Friday the Creston Valley Thunder Cats, and the Fernie Ghostriders on Saturday. Both games start at 7pm at the Kimberley Civic Centre.
"I am excited to play Fernie and Creston." Kingston said. "We are going to have to bring it every shift against Creston and Fernie this weekend."
Lead photo by Jonathan Righton
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