Dynamiters lost 2-1 to Fernie Ghostriders in a game that had it all

The third game in a row for the two teams lived up to expectations. It was standing room only as more than 1,100 people jammed into the arena, apparently people were even turned away! Everyone in attendance was treated to a stellar game.

Game Notes

• Korbyn Chabot (AP) dressed for his 3rd game
• 17 players dressed
• Injuries/Scratches: Campanella, Roy, Gordon, Van Steinburg, Hunt, Pagura
• Brouwer started the game

1st

The period was fast and furious. Both goalies faced heaps of shots and great chances. As the period began to close, Georgopoulos scored for the Ghostriders, and they took a 1-0 lead into the break. The shots were 14-10 for Kimberley.

2nd

The highlight of this period was that after Peers gave the Riders a 2-0 lead, a chicken was tossed onto the ice. And not a frozen chicken, a living one! The webcast crew kept calling in the "Hosmer chicken" so I am sure there is a story there. But the officials didn't grab the chicken, they had Peers do it! The Ghostriders led in shots 11-8.

3rd

The third period is always dramatic between these two teams. First there was the webcast, which bugged out a little with a black screen and said the Dynamiters were winning 2-1.

Second. The Dynamiters looked like they would come back again. Saretsky scored a PP goal, and then with an almost identical timeline, the Nitro's were awarded more PP opportunities, but couldn't capitalize.

Third, injuries. This holidays series is always rough on both teams, which happened last year as well. Jowsey was the first Nitro player to go down with a hit to the face area (conflicting reports from it being a bruise on the jaw to a concussion), while I feel this hit could have warranted a penalty, it didn't happen and that's alright, these games are always hard hitting. Then Marchi went down, which I didn't see a hit, or anything for that fact, due to the camera angle. While I noted on twitter that these things unfortunately happen and happened last year, a freelance writer for the Fernie Free Press encouraged me to not point fingers. I wasn't. I appreciate when fans are sensitive, and I can understand why, because when the hit is illegal and causes injury, I am all over it, and sometimes when the injury is preventable, I am protecting my team. But as was the case last year when Revie was injured, I didn't complain, it was a clean hit. And I didn't complain or point fingers this time because reports say it was more an awkward spill than a hit. It was great to see the outpouring of support for Marchi:

So tough seeing a brother go down, good thing it's the toughest kid I know! Love ya @JaredMarchi95 all the boys are thinking about you
— Tyler Kinnon (@tylerkinnon) December 30, 2014

According to Dynamiters HC Jerry Bancks, Jared Marchi in Fernie hospital. Good news -- no fractured vertebrae. (1/2) #KIJHL
— Taylor Rocca (@taylorrocca) December 30, 2014

@taylorrocca worst part of being a trainer is when players don't get up. Thank you @RiderNewsKIJHL and trainers for all your help tonight.
— Anne (@BritKimBC) December 30, 2014

@taylorrocca lets hope that he will be okay my prayer and thoughts go to Marchi :-(
— kayleigh postmus (@kpostmus1) December 30, 2014

@nitroshockey our positive thoughts are with the family and team. #Kimberleyhastoughplayers
— robyn wardle (@wardle_robyn) December 30, 2014

No word on Nitro Marchi, he's been with Nitros for a few years now we wish him the best hope to see him next yr.
— Riders (@RiderNewsKIJHL) December 30, 2014

I couldn't ask to be surrounded by any better people then I already am! Thanks for everything! #Teammates #brothers #family
— Jared Marchi (@JaredMarchi95) December 30, 2014

I also questioned whether a situation like this with so little time left in the 3rd warranted playing the rest of the game the next time the two teams meet? Just wondering.

The Dynamiters tried to tie the game in the remaining time, but couldn't get it past the self-sacrificing Ghostrider D. The Dynamiters out shot the Ghostriders 12-8 this period.

And I think it is worthwhile to pull out a tweet from last year to summarize this holiday series (because Fernie also had a player go to the hospital)

Typical Fernie/Kimberley game. Two hospitalizations, lotsa goals and a few game ejections. 7-3 final for Nitros.
— Trevor Crawley (@tcrawls) December 30, 2013

Nitro's Player of the Game
Braden Saretsky - 1G

Honorable Mention

Tyson Brouwer - 27 saves
Charles Dagostin - Stood up for teammates, but never took a penalty.

Further Reading

Ghostrider Blog

Boxscore

Taylor Rocca write up

It's Game Day! Kimberley Dynamiters at Fernie Ghostriders

Kimberley Dynamiters	vs	Fernie Ghostriders
18-13-1-3	Record	25-5-1-2
40	Points	53
3rd	Division Standing	1st
4th (3.97)	Offence (GFA)	2nd (4.79)
9th (3.20)	Defence (GAA)	5th (2.79)
15th (0.893)	Goaltending (SV%)	9th (0.903)
6th (21.25%)	Power Play	7th (19.05%)
5th (86.05%)	Penalty Kill	1st (91.72%)
6th	Power Ranking	2nd
L1	Streak	W1
5-3-1-1	Last 10	8-1-0-1
Jason Richter (27G-17A)	Top Scorer	Doan Smith (28G-21A)
Lincoln Lane (8G-24A)	2nd Top Scorer	Joel Burgess (18G-20A)
Jordan Busch (6G-24A)	3rd Top Scorer	Sam Plaquin (13G-25A)
Eric Buckley (82)	PIM Leader	Dylan Robertson (75)

KIJHL Power Rankings - December 29, 2014

Here is the last Power Ranking for this calendar year! Looking back, I have to admit it has been fun and humbling to see how popular this post-series is.

Osoyoos Coyotes and Fernie Ghostriders continue to maintain the 1 and 2 spots. The Chase Heat (ironically) are the hottest team in the league. And with this sudden freezing (at least that I am experiencing while I visit the prairies) has chilled three KIJHL teams: Castlegar Rebels, Princeton Posse, and Grand Forks Border Bruins are the coldest teams.

Here is the view of the Power Rankings.

Dynamiters couldn't complete the comeback and lose 6-4 to Fernie Ghostriders

Photo by Jonathan Righton

In the second match up of three in a row between the Kimberley Dynamiters and Fernie Ghostriders ended this time in Fernie's favor, with a 6-4 win over Kimberley.

Game Notes

• 738 at the game!
• Brouwer got the start
• Scratches/Injuries: Dagostin, Campanella, Roy, Gordon, Hunt, Pagura
• Only 16 players dressed for the game (have to wonder about fatigue)

1st

The Dynamiters jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to a PP goal by Buckley from Jowsey and Marchi. The lead didn't last long as the Ghostriders (Plaquin & Neufeld) scored two goals within 12 seconds. The Ghostriders took a 2-1 lead into the dressing room, and had a lead in shots, 9-5.

2nd

In a pretty tame period, the Ghostriders added to their lead with a goal from Smith. They held onto their 3-1 lead for the remainder of the period. However, the Dynamiters struggled to solve Butler as they out shot Fernie 11-5.

3rd

The period of special teams. Ghostriders Smith scored two PP goals to complete the hat trick. With 10 minutes remaining, the game looked all but over as the Riders led 5-1. Busch scored a cleanup short-handed goal. The Dynamiters then scored two PP goals themselves from Lane and Richter. All of a sudden it was 5-4 with just over two minutes left. In desperation the Dynamiters pulled the goalie, and even had a PP opportunity as well. The Riders halted the comeback as they buried a puck in the empty net with two seconds left. The Dynamiters out shot the Ghostriders 11-10.

The two teams line up again on Monday at 7:30 in Fernie.

Nitro's Player of the Game

Eric Buckley. He opened the scoring, was in on the SH goal that got the comeback started, and added another assist. He was pesky enough to annoy the man behind the Ghostriders twitter account.

Honorable Mentions

Jordan Busch - 1G 1A

Jason Richter - 1G 1A

Further Reading

Boxscore

Taylor Rocca write up.

It's Game Day! Kimberley Dynamiters vs Fernie Ghostriders

Kimberley Dynamiters	vs	Fernie Ghostriders
18-12-1-3	Record	24-5-1-2
40	Points	51
3rd	Division Standing	1st
4th (3.97)	Offence (GFA)	2nd (4.75)
9th (3.12)	Defence (GAA)	5th (2.75)
18th (0.888)	Goaltending (SV%)	6th (0.908)
6th (20.13%)	Power Play	9th (18.48%)
3rd (87.10%)	Penalty Kill	1st (93.53%)
7th	Power Ranking	2nd
W3	Streak	L1
5-3-1-1	Last 10	7-1-1-1
Jason Richter (26G-16A)	Top Scorer	Doan Smith (25G-20A)
Lincoln Lane (7G-24A)	2nd Top Scorer	Joel Burgess (18G-19A)
Jordan Busch (5G-23A)	3rd Top Scorer	Cole Keebler (17G-19A)
Eric Buckley (80)	PIM Leader	Dylan Robertson (73)

Happy Christmas from the Kimberley Dynamiters

KIJHL All-Time All-Star Team vs 2013-14 Canadian NHL Teams

This is purely a post of, I am on holidays and have too much down time so now is the time to answer the 'what if I had enough time to do this' questions. And it is spilling onto this blog.

So the question is: What if you could build an All-Time KIJHL Alumni team and line them up against the current Canadian NHL teams . Thanks to the magic of WhatIfSports.com I can do that! So the KIJHL Alumni team faced each of the 2013-14 Canadian teams' twice.

So here is the lineup:

Forwards

• Ray Ferraro (91-92); Dallas Drake (92-93); Adam Deadmarsh (01-02)
• Brian Skrudland (88-89); Alan Kerr (87-88); Greg Adams (91-92)
• Steve Tambellini (80-81); Chuck Kobasew (08-09); Bill Lindsay (94-95)
• Travis Green (96-97); David Oliver (95-96); Steve Bozek (81-82)

Defence

• Shea Weber (13-14); Cody Franson (10-11)
• Brad Lukowich (03-04); Jon Klemm (96-97)
• Barret Jackman (11-12); Steve McCarthy (05-06)

Goaltender

• Wade Dubielewicz (07-08)
• Steve Passmore (99-00)

Reserve

• Dane Jackson (95-96) - F
• Jamie Huscroft (95-96) - D
• Jason Marshall (96-97) - D

Game Results (I don't expect you to read them all, but maybe just scroll through for your favourite Canadian team):

KIJHL Alumni 4

Calgary Flames 1 Boxscore

KIJHL Alumni 4

Calgary Flames 2 Boxscore

KIJHL Alumni 3

Edmonton Oilers 0 Boxscore

KIJHL Alumni 5

Edmonton Oilters 3 Boxscore

KIJHL Alumni 0

Montreal Canadiens 1 Boxscore

KIJHL Alumni 3

Montreal Canadiens 4 Boxscore

KIJHL Alumni 7

Ottawa Senators 1 Boxscore

KIJHL Alumni 7

Ottawa Senators 3 Boxscore

KIJHL Alumni 6

Toronto Maple Leafs 1 Boxscore

KIJHL Alumni 8

Toronto Maple Leafs 1 Boxscore

KIJHL Alumni 4

Vancouver Canucks 3 Boxscore

KIJHL Alumni 6

Vancouver Canucks 1 Boxscore

KIJHL Alumni 3

Winnipeg Jets 1 Boxscore

KIJHL Alumni 4

Winnipeg Jets 1 Boxscore

Discussion:

I will admit that I was gladly surprised that in 14 games, the KIJHL Alumni had 12 wins and two losses. They definitely dominated the Ontario teams (Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs), and lost two close games to the Montreal Canadiens.

If you got this far, thanks for reading and HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Kimberley Dynamiters get a holiday gift with a 4-2 win over Fernie Ghostriders

Photo by Jonathan Righton

The last game before the holiday break featured the best rivalry in the KIJHL, the Kimberley Dynamiters and Fernie Ghostriders. The Nitro's got twice as many gifts as Fernie and won 4-2 on home ice.

Game Notes

• The Fernie Ghostriders Blogger and team tweeter has been using a new slogan "You can take that to the Bancks" (I know the CV Cats coach has as well, but we'll deal with him later)
• Injuries/Scratches: Campanella, Roy, Gordon, Lane, Hunt, Pagura
• Only 16 players dressed for the game
• Brouwer got the start in net

1st

The Ghostriders, determined to stay undefeated against the Dynamiters bolted out and took an early lead thanks to Burgess. The Dynamiters met their pace, however Orser kept the door closed, until Busch threw one at the net from the point that had eyes and sneaked in with 21 seconds left in the period. The score was tied 1-1, and the shots were tied 10-10.

2nd

Revie broke in on a pass from Busch and gave the Nitro's a 2-1 lead. Just over a minute later the Ghostriders scored on the PP from Burgess. Two minutes later the Dynamiters were buzzing around the net, Wallace was behind the net and guided it towards the net and Rosolowsky shot it past Orser. The Dynamiters had two PP chances as the period drew to a close, but couldn't build on their lead. The Nitro's outshot the Riders 8-4.

3rd

Haase did another one of his trick shots, he dumped the puck in from the blue line and instead of the puck rolling behind the net, it bounced off the dasher and he was the first to retrieve it and snapped it behind Orser. There were assists on the play, but the ref must have felt it was a dump-in and didn't award any assists (poor Prevost). The Dynamiters then clung onto their lead as the Ghostriders tried to get back in the game. Shots were 11-8 for the Ghostriders.

And I just had to say this at the end of the game:

Hey @RiderNewsKIJHL the Bancks just took it to you!! @nitroshockey
— Josh Lockhart (@joshuaklockhart) December 21, 2014

The team now goes onto a Christmas break before returning for two back to back games against Fernie.

Player of the Game

Keenan Haase. His goal sucked the life right out of Fernie so early in the third. Also KIJHL star of the game.

Honorable Mentions

Tyson Brouwer - 23 save performance

Jordan Busch - 1G 1A. His goal brought life and energy back into the arena and team.

Further Reading

Boxscore

Taylor Rocca write up in Kimberley Bulletin

It's Game Day! Kimberley Dynamiters vs Fernie Ghostriders

Kimberley Dynamiters	vs	Fernie Ghostriders
17-12-1-3	Record	24-4-1-2
38	Points	51
3rd	Division Standing	1st
4th (3.97)	Offence (GFA)	2nd (4.84)
9th (3.15)	Defence (GAA)	5th (2.71)
18th (0.888)	Goaltending (SV%)	6th (0.908)
6th (20.39%)	Power Play	9th (18.33%)
3rd (87.50%)	Penalty Kill	1st (93.43%)
7th	Power Ranking	2nd
W2	Streak	W2
5-3-1-1	Last 10	8-0-1-1
Jason Richter (26G-15A)	Top Scorer	Doan Smith (25G-20A)
Lincoln Lane (7G-24A)	2nd Top Scorer	Cole Keebler (17G-19A)
Coy Prevost (9G-18A)	3rd Top Scorer	Joel Burgess (16G-19A)
Eric Buckley (78)	PIM Leader	Dylan Robertson (73)

The Dynamiters win on the road against the Creston Valley ThunderCats

In another divisional battle, where it has been hard to get wins on the road, the Dynamiters played a tight defensive game and squeaked out with a 2-1 win over the Thunder Cats. (And it has been a while since they got a road win)

Game Notes

• Tyler Van Stienburg (AP) debuted. He is naturally a defenseman but was playing forward this game. Ironically his brother Trevor is naturally a forward and has been playing defense all season for the Nitro's. Tyler played 3 games with Nelson last season. He has played 16 games with the BCMML Kootenay Ice, scoring 3 goals and adding an assist.
• Injuries/Scratches: Campanella, Roy, Gordon, Lane, Hunt, Pagura
• Brouwer took to the net.

1st

The Dynamiters were taking shots from all over the ice, crashing the net, they had an intensity about them. And finally in a shortened break in attack, Wallace gifted the puck to Rosolowsky who had no problem getting it past Lefebvre. The period remained high tempo with the Nitro's outshooting the Cats 11-5.

2nd

It was Creston's turn to increase the pace, and they did. Brouwer did a fantastic job of turning aside chances. But in a moment that he can't be faulted in, the Nitro's were caught crashing the net for a rebound and also for a line change and the Cats had what looked like a Flying V break away and tied the game with 3 minutes left in the period. The Cats outshot Kimberley this period 13-9.

3rd

The Dynamiters struck early, with Haase scoring from Prevost and Buckley, 28 seconds  in. The Dynamiters barricaded up their end and kept the action away from their net. The Cats tried to get pucks on net, but they couldn't get them past the blockade of defense. The Dynamiters escaped the final push, and won the game. They outshot the Cats 11-2 this period.

Nitro's Player of the Game

Keenan Haase - GWG, also KIJHL player of the game.

Honorable Mentions

Tyson Brouwer - 19 saves.

Trevor Van Steinburg - This might have been because there were two Van Steinburgs' on the ice, but there was a lot of times when the webcast crew said "shot blocked by Van Steinburg" and it seemed to correlate when Trevor was out there.

Alex Rosolowsky - Opened the scoring

Further Readings

Boxscore

Taylor Rocca write-up in Kimberley Bulletin.

It's Game Day! Kimberley Dynamiters at Creston Valley Thunder Cats

Kimberley Dynamiters	vs	Creston Valley Thunder Cats
16-12-1-3	Record	16-11-1-3
36	Points	36
4th	Division Standing	3rd
4th (4.03)	Offence (GFA)	12th (3.19)
9th (3.22)	Defence (GAA)	7th (3.03)
18th (0.888)	Goaltending (SV%)	5th (0.910)
6th (20.67%)	Power Play	14th (15.15%)
3rd (87.29%)	Penalty Kill	16th (78.85%)
7th	Power Ranking	12th
W1	Streak	W4
4-4-1-1	Last 10	6-4-0-0
Jason Richter (26G-15A)	Top Scorer	Carson Cartwright (12G-20A)
Lincoln Lane (7G-24A)	2nd Top Scorer	Alec Wilkinson (7G-17A)
Coy Prevost (9G-17A)	3rd Top Scorer	Connor Kidd (4G-20A)
Eric Buckley (78)	PIM Leader	Mason Mazur (65)

Grading and Ranking the KIJHL Fan Bases

After seeing a post on The Hockey News ranking the NHL's fan bases, I thought it would be fun to do the same for the KIJHL, with some modifications due to different information being available.

So let's get to the categories:

• Facebook - The number of Facebook "Likes" a team has (as of December 12, 2014)
• Twitter - The number of Twitter followers a team has (as of December 12, 2014)
• Average Attendance - Random sampling to determine the average attendance at home games
• Fan Value - Multiply the adult ticket walk up price by the average attendance, over 26 regular season home games (doesn't include playoffs)

Procedure:

Each team was then graded on a curve. The curve is as follows, the team that ranked first in the category was graded 100% and the teams that followed were graded in comparison of the first ranked team. For example, Columbia Valley Rockies has the most FB Likes with 1,178, so 1,178 divided by 1,178 is 100%. Kimberley Dynamiters have 685 FB Likes, so 685 divided by 1,178 is 58%.

The Kamloops Storm do not track attendance, so the league average attendance was applied to them.

Ranges:

Facebook Likes: 134-1178

Twitter Followers: 265-1711

Average Attendance: 129-497

Walk Up Ticket Prices: $5-$10, with $10 also being the mode. The average price was $8.93.

Results:

20th

Sicamous Eagles

Facebook: 252 Likes (21.4%)

Twitter: 440 Followers (25.7%)

Average Attendance: 143 (28.7%)

Fan Value: $37,050 (27.3%)

Total Points: 103.1

19th

Beaver Valley Nitehawks

Facebook: 134 Likes (11.4%)

Twitter: 793 Followers (46.3%)

Average Attendance: 129 (25.9%)

Fan Value: $26,780 (19.7%)

Total Points: 103.3

18th

Grand Forks Border Bruins

Facebook: 260 Likes (22.1%)

Twitter: 496 Followers (29.0%)

Average Attendance: 170 (34.2%)

Fan Value: $30,940 (22.8%)

Total Points: 108.0

17th

Princeton Posse

Facebook: 462 Likes (39.2%)

Twitter: 265 Followers (15.5%)

Average Attendance: 143 (28.7%)

Fan Value: $37,050 (27.3%)

Total Points: 110.7

16th

Summerland Steam

Facebook: 393 Likes (33.4%)

Twitter: 426 Followers (24.9%)

Average Attendance: 178 (35.7%)

Fan Value: $46,150 (34.0%)

Total Points: 128.0

15th

North Oakanagan Knights

Facebook: 433 Likes (36.8%)

Twitter: 526 Followers (30.7%)

Average Attendance: 170 (34.2%)

Fan Value: $44,265 (32.6%)

Total Points: 134.3

14th

Castlegar Rebels

Facebook: 314 Likes (26.7%)

Twitter: 341 Followers (19.9%)

Average Attendance: 253 (50.9%)

Fan Value: $52,624 (38.8%)

Total Points: 136.2

13th

Spokane Braves

Facebook: 744 Likes (63.2%)

Twitter: 291 Followers (17.0%)

Average Attendance: 191 (38.3%)

Fan Value: $24,765 (18.2%)

Total Points: 136.7

12th

Golden Rockets

Facebook: 281 Likes (23.9%)

Twitter: 639 Followers (37.3%)

Average Attendance: 214 (42.9%)

Fan Value: $55,510 (40.9%)

Total Points: 145.0

11th

Revelstoke Grizzlies

Facebook: 412 Likes (35.0%)

Twitter: 572 Followers (33.4%)

Average Attendance: 203 (40.8%)

Fan Value: $52,780 (38.9%)

Total Points: 148.1

10th
Chase Heat

Facebook: 427 Likes (36.2%)

Twitter: 477 Followers (27.9%)

Average Attendance: 226 (45.4%)

Fan Value: $58,695 (43.2%)

Total Points: 152.8

9th

Osoyoos Coyotes

Facebook: 415 Likes (35.2%)

Twitter: 286 Followers (16.7%)

Average Attendance: 275 (55.3%)

Fan Value: $71,435 (52.6%)

Total Points: 159.8

8th

Nelson Leafs

Facebook: 151 Likes (12.8%)

Twitter: 662 Followers (38.7%)

Average Attendance: 331 (66.5%)

Fan Value: $85,930 (63.3%)

Total Points: 181.3

7th

Creston Valley Thunder Cats

Facebook: 210 Likes (17.8%)

Twitter: 560 Followers (32.7%)

Average Attendance: 375 (75.4%)

Fan Value: $97,500 (71.8%)

Total Points: 197.8

6th

Kamloops Storm

Facebook: 511 Likes (43.4%)

Twitter: 1,071 Followers (62.6%)

*Average Attendance: 249 (50.1%)*

Fan Value: $64,740 (47.7%)

Total Points: 203.7

5th

Columbia Valley Rockies

Facebook: 1,178 Likes (100.0%)

Twitter: 643 Followers (37.6%)

Average Attendance: 200 (40.2%)

Fan Value: $52,000 (38.3%)

Total Points: 216.1

4th

Fernie Ghostriders

Facebook: 486 Likes (41.3%)

Twitter: 870 Followers (50.8%)

Average Attendance: 378 (76.0%)

Fan Value: $98,280 (72.4%)

Total Points: 240.5

3rd

Kelowna Chiefs

Facebook: 651 Likes (55.3%)

Twitter: 1,711 Followers (100.0%)

Average Attendance: 317 (63.8%)

Fan Value: $82,485 (60.8%)

Total Points: 279.8

2nd

Kimberley Dynamiters

Facebook: 685 Likes (58.1%)

Twitter: 676 Followers (39.5%)

Average Attendance: 478 (96.2%)

Fan Value: $124,345 (91.6%)

Total Points: 285.4

1st

100 Mile House Wranglers

Facebook: 1065 Likes (90.4%)

Twitter: 339 Followers (19.8%)

Average Attendance: 497 (100.0%)

Fan Value: $135,749 (100.0%)

Total Points: 310.2

Fans skate with Dynamiters and Santa

And for me, my kids had so much fun skating with a Dynamiter each:

Thanks @tylerkinnon for skating with my daughter. She really enjoyed her time with you! @nitroshockey pic.twitter.com/UbSEP6sCTq
— Josh Lockhart (@joshuaklockhart) December 14, 2014

Thanks @Yukon_charlie for skating with my son. He had more fun with you than he would have with me @nitroshockey pic.twitter.com/NrzLjHr7IE
— Josh Lockhart (@joshuaklockhart) December 14, 2014

Rockets crash and burn in Kimberley as Dynamiters win 5-1

Photo by Jodi L'Heureux

The Golden Rockets have really pushed the Kimberley Dynamiters around this season, especially when Kimberley visits Golden. But this time the Dynamiters returned the favor and beat the Rockets 5-1.

Game Notes

• I pointed out on twitter that the Golden Rockets are a statistical anomaly, that they are higher in the standings than the stats suggest. So either their stats will improve to match their standing, or their standing will fall to match the stats.... or they can continue to be an outlier.
• Jacob Bromley made his KIJHL debut. He has scored 9 goals and 13 points in 19 games for the Cranbrook Knights.
• The recently acquired Lincoln Lane made his debut as well.
• Scratches/Injuries: Campanella, Roy, Gordon, Hunt, Paguara, and Barzilay.
• Tyson Brouwer got the start
• Marchi & Kinnon appeared to change spots. Marchi was on D, Kinnon a F.

1st

I must admit it seemed like the team had gaps in their lineup with Garcia & Klingspohn gone, but now with Lane & Saretsky in the lineup and developing chemistry with captain Richter, the team looks comfortable again. 

The first goal of the game came on the PP for the Dynamiters, Prevost who started the season as a sniper, fed the puck beautifully to Haase on a down-low 2-on-1, and Haase had no problem wristing the puck in the net. The Rockets outshot Kimberley 12-6. Brouwer was being kept busy.

2nd

The Rockets came storming out and tied the game, silencing the arena as there was fear about what would happen next. Then that new line, literally new, Lane-Saretsky-Richter came dashing in and Richter snapped the puck in. Lane got his first point as a Dynamiter. Minutes later Saretsky scored a trick shot type goal from an acute angle,his first goal as a Dynamiter from Mallard who got his first point in a Nitro uniform. Bromley had a beauty of a chance as he broke in on a 1-on-1, but I speculate the anxious butterflies got to him and he fluttered the puck just wide.The Dynamiters were up 3-1 heading into the third, however the Rockets outshot the Nitro's 11-9.

3rd

The Dynamiters looked convinced to seal the victory. Richter took this into his own hands, and while falling down in a scrum in front of the net with one hand on the stick he slid the puck 5-hole. Lane and Saretsky were in on the goal. Prevost found his scoring touch again and snapped one in as well, putting the star on the top of the tree. That was with 10 minutes left. In those last 10 minutes, 22 minutes of the games 32 PIM were called (18 to Golden). With that much time on the PP the Dynamiters outshot the Rockets 10-5.

Nitro's Player of the Game

Tyson Brouwer - 27 saves. Made several breathtaking and head-shaking saves.

Honorable Mentions

Rory Mallard - 2A, his first points with the Dynamiters. KIJHL Player of the game.

Charles Dagostin - Had the hit of the game in the 3rd, while short-handed, he flattened a Rocket's player right after a face-off, the Golden player took offence and retaliated and was given a penalty.

Coy Prevost - 1G 1A

Jason Richter - 2G including the GWG

Lincoln Lane - 2A, his first points as a Dynamiter

Braden Saretsky - 1G 2A (He has 1G 7A in 5GP with Dynamiters, whereas Klingspohn has 2G 1A in 7GP with Summerland)

Further Reading
Boxscore

It's Game Day! Kimberley Dynamiters vs Golden Rockets

Kimberley Dynamiters	vs	Golden Rockets
15-12-1-3	Record	18-11-0-5
34	Points	41
4th	Division Standing	2nd
4th (4.00)	Offence (GFA)	7th (3.74)
9th (3.29)	Defence (GAA)	17th (3.91)
18th (0.888)	Goaltending (SV%)	16th (0.898)
6th (20.83%)	Power Play	15th (14.00%)
3rd (86.84%)	Penalty Kill	12th (81.14%)
7th	Power Ranking	16th
L1	Streak	W1
3-5-1-1	Last 10	6-1-0-3
Jason Richter (24G-15A)	Top Scorer	Ian Desrosier (23G-20A)
Lincoln Lane (7G-22A)	2nd Top Scorer	Cole Mckechney (12G-29A)
Jordan Busch (4G-22A)	3rd Top Scorer	Braeden Allkins (13G-19A)
Eric Buckley (78)	PIM Leader	Sean Ripley (101)

Hello there statistical anomaly! @RocketsGolden -6 GF/GA, 17th GAA, 16th PP+PK, Power Ranked 16th, yet have a 603 W% @nitroshockey #KIJHL
— Josh Lockhart (@joshuaklockhart) December 13, 2014

Dynamiters lose an intense thriller to Spokane in OT

The Dynamiters traveled south of the border to take on the Spokane Braves, and despite dominating the play for large amounts of the game, the Braves escaped with a win in OT. On paper, both these teams are equal and they proved it.

Game Notes
Can you say injury bug? (INJURY BUG!) Campanella, Gordon, Hunt, Roy, Paguara and Barzilay are all out with injuries.
Rota (AP) dressed for his second game.
The Dynamiters dressed 17 players.
Brouwer got the start in net.

1st
Penalties came fast and furious to start the period. There was 47 minutes worth of penalties, plus a game misconduct. Busch was able to snip one in for the Nitro's on the PP. The period dragged on in the final minute, as a Braves player was leveled. There was no penalty called on that hit (that I could tell), so the Braves appeared to take the policing into their own hands. It seemed like there was some bad blood from the last game that spilled over, which all I can tell is that Revie got a game misconduct last game, and was involved in this scrum; and this scrum alone accounted for 39 of the periods 47 PIM. The Dynamiters outshot Spokane 14-9.

2nd
The Dynamiters started the period on the PP, and had another chance on the PP, they just couldn't solve Dilauro. The Dynamiters kept the Braves hemmed in their end, plus didn't allow a shot for nearly 13 minutes of the game. Brouwer was equal to the task as well, making acrobatic saves. The Saretsky, Marchi and Richter line was buzzing with chance after chance, but just couldn't squeeze one in. The Braves got on the board on a PP of their own, despite the Nitro's leading in shots this period, 15-7.

3rd
No penalties were called, it was a free flowing finesse game. Neither team wanted to make a mistake and lose, but both were playing for the win. It was an entertaining period with both goalies making all the saves necessary to send this period into OT. The Braves led in shots 9-8.

OT
So, I didn't see what happened because my connection took a vacation. All I know is that when I got connected again the Braves were celebrating. What I could make out of the description of the goal was Brouwer got caught out of net as he acted like a 3rd d-man, and then there was an ensuing turnover, and with just 27 seconds gone in OT, the Braves won 2-1. Executing revenge for the 2-1 loss they suffered in Kimberley.

Nitro's Player of the Game
Tyson Brouwer - Sure he didn't get the W, but he made some unreal saves, some while making a snow angel. Plus to switch from spectator (13 minutes without a shot) back to goaltender is impressive in it self.

Honorable Mentions
Jordan Busch - 1G
Braden Saretsky - He was  trying to make setup after setup, and either a teammates stick would get lifted negating the chance, or the Braves goalie was up to the task.

Further Reading
Boxscore.

It's Game Day! Kimberley Dynamiters at Spokane Braves

Kimberley Dynamiters	vs	Spokane Braves
15-12-1-2	Record	15-13-0-3
33	Points	33
4th	Division Standing	4th
3rd (4.10)	Offence (GFA)	14th (3.13)
10th (3.33)	Defence (GAA)	11th (3.35)
18th (0.888)	Goaltending (SV%)	4th (0.910)
6th (20.86%)	Power Play	10th (17.65%)
3rd (87.27%)	Penalty Kill	4th (86.41%)
7th	Power Ranking	8th
W1	Streak	W2
3-6-1-0	Last 10	4-6-0-0
Jason Richter (24G-15A)	Top Scorer	Tanner Stolz (21G-9A)
Jordan Busch (3G-22A)	2nd Top Scorer	Jonny Marzec (10G-16A)
Coy Prevost (8G-16A)	3rd Top Scorer	Kurtis Redding (8G-18A)
Eric Buckley (78)	PIM Leader	Lance Noomen (86)

We Have A Trade To Announce: Dynamiters acquire Lincoln Lane from Grand Forks for Futures

The Kimberley Dynamiters have acquired forward Lincoln Lane from the Grand Forks Border Bruins for Future Considerations. He currently sits on the Reserve roster as the I's get dotted, and T's get crossed.

Lane, from Cloverdale BC, has put up 29 points in 29 games, 7G and 22A. Looks like he will be a nice setup guy. With those 29 points he will slide into 2nd place in point production on the Nitro's roster; also those 29 points puts him past his season high 28 points from last year. Lane will also add some size up front, as he stands 6'1".

Lincoln Lane, Welcome to Nitro Nation! And I think we'll get along, we have the same favourite song, Barefoot Blue Jean Night.

KIJHL Power Rankings - December 10, 2014

As we approach the holidays it is time to bring out the KIJHL Power Rankings.

We have a new #1 team again, the Osoyoos Coyotes find themselves on top of the rankings, with the Fernie Ghostriders knocking on the door.

The Hottest team this time around is the Kelowna Chiefs, improving 9 points; with Creston Valley Thunder Cats right behind them improving with 8 points.

The Revelstoke Grizzlies are the Cold Team right now compared to last standings, dropping 11 points.

Dynamiters score 4 unanswered goals to crunch the Leafs 5-2

Photo by Jonathan Righton

The Dynamiters returned home where they have been very successful to face the Nelson Leafs. The Nitro's looked comfortable at home, didn't panic, and played with patience, as they beat Nelson 5-2.

Game Notes
Tyson Brouwer got the start in net.
Scatches/Injuries: Roy, Hunt, &Gordon
It was Alex Rosolowsky's birthday

1st
The first period was a stale mate. Both teams took penalties, and shots were balanced at 8-apiece.

2nd
Nelson jumped out and took an early lead. Nelson tried again with a bouncing puck but Brouwer robbed them (absolute beauty!). Kimberley responded as Saretsky drove to the net and Ricther stuffed in the rebound. Nelson responded with a point shot that got deflected in. Nelson then got choppy and took several penalties in a row. Haase scored a PP goal on the 5-on-3. Half a minute later Wallace scored a PP goal on the 5-on-4. The period ended with the Dynamiters up 3-2, and also an edge in shots, 10-8.

3rd
The side-show highlight of the game goes to birthday boy Rosolowsky; a teammate lost their stick, Rosolowsky then from the opposite attacking side of the rink fired the stick towards the bench and it slide perfectly into the bench. The Dynamiters kept the Leafs at bay for the remainder of the period. Richter helped solidify the W when he scored a PP goal and then 34 seconds later scored an EN goal The Nitro's also outshot the Leafs 9-7.

Nitro's Player of the Game
Jason Richter. He was in on all five goals, 3G and 2A.

Honorable Mentions
Braden Saretsky - 3A
Jesse Wallace - GWG

Further Reading
Boxscore
Taylor Rocca in Kimberley Bulletin

It's Game Day! Kimberley Dynamiters vs Nelson Leafs

Kimberley Dynamiters	vs	Nelson Leafs
14-12-1-2	Record	18-6--2-1-3
31	Points	41
3rd	Division Standing	1st
3rd (4.07)	Offence (GFA)	5th (4.00)
9th (3.38)	Defence (GAA)	4th (2.67)
18th (0.883)	Goaltending (SV%)	17th (0.885)
6th (20.61%)	Power Play	9th (18.06%)
3rd (87.04%)	Penalty Kill	2nd (91.91%)
8th	Power Ranking	3rd
L1	Streak	L1
2-7-1-0	Last 10	6-2-0-2
Jason Richter (21G-13A)	Top Scorer	Robson Cramer (14G-20A)
Jordan Busch (3G-22A)	2nd Top Scorer	Rayce Miller (19G-14A)
Coy Prevost (8G-16A)	3rd Top Scorer	Aaron Dunlap (12G-18A)
Eric Buckley (66)	PIM Leader	Darnel St. Pierre (78)

Playing on the road continues to be a struggle as Dynamiters lose 4-2 to Creston Valley

The Dynamiters braved the roads, that the entire East Kootenay is complaining about, to get to Creston. Turns out Creston was just as dangerous as the roads, and the Dynamiters lost 4-2 to Creston Valley.

Game Notes
Tyler Kinnon is back from injury.
Liam McBain got the start in net.

1st
The fans in Creston came loaded with teddy bears to throw on the ice once the Thundercats scored. They had to wait 10 minutes before they could flood the ice with teddy bears. Despite the Cats leading on the scoreboard, the Dynamiters fired 16 shots at Lefebvre, while the Cats directed 7 towards McBain.

2nd
Mazur continued his parade to the penalty box, but the Nitro's couldn't capitalize on the man advantage. Richter had a beauty of a chance, fired it high glove side, and Lefebvre snagged it. The Dynamiters had an excellent PK, blocking many shots, and also forcing the Cats to ice the puck. Tempers began to rise as a Nitro player was hit from behind (called as boarding). The score remained 1-0 for Creston, but again Kimberley outshot Creston 14-6. You could tell the Dynamiters were in tough as Lefebvre had built a brick wall.

3rd
Creston took it to Kimberley early in the third, scoring a goal on a desperate attempt by a sprawling McBain, then notching a PP goal, and then scoring a deflating SH goal. After the SH goal, the Dynamiters looked sluggish as they were down 4-0. But with under three minutes the Dynamiters turned up the heat to deny Lefebvre from his blank sheet. Rosolowsky took a cross the crease pass from Hancherow and got it beheind Lefebvre. Buckley almost got one as he chipped the puck over a scrum in front of the net, but couldn't get past a Hasek-like sprawling Lefebvre. In the dying seconds, Busch lobbed a puck on net and it deflected off the post and in past Lefebvre. It was too little too late. And in this period of high octane shots, the Cats outshot the Nitro's 17-13.

Nitro's Player of the Game
Jordan Busch - Yes he scored a goal, but he was calming on the break out, and furious in defending.

Honorable Mentions
Tyler Kinnon - Blocked shots, like he usually does.
Alex Rosolowsky - 1G

Further Reading
Boxscore

It's Game Day! Kimberley Dynamiters at Creston Valley Thundercats

Kimberley Dynamiters	vs	Creston Valley Thundercats
14-11-1-2	Record	12-11-1-3
31	Points	28
3rd	Division Standing	4th
3rd (4.14)	Offence (GFA)	18th (2.85)
10th (3.36)	Defence (GAA)	6th (3.04)
18th (0.883)	Goaltending (SV%)	3rd (0.910)
4th (21.26%)	Power Play	17th (11.40%)
3rd (87.50%)	Penalty Kill	15th (80.68%)
8th	Power Ranking	13th
W1	Streak	L1
2-7-1-0	Last 10	6-4-0-0
Jason Richter (21G-13A)	Top Scorer	Sam Young (12G-11A)
Coy Prevost (8G-16A)	2nd Top Scorer	Carter Melnyk (4G-17A)
Jordan Busch (2G-22A)	3rd Top Scorer	Ryan St. Jean (4G-12A)
Eric Buckley (64)	PIM Leader	Sam Young (98)