The annual quest for the Teck Cup is officially underway and the Dynamiters started off this year's playoff run with a bang, winning both games on home ice against the Creston Valley Thunder Cats in dominant fashion.
"I think apart from our first period tonight the other five periods have been really good," said Nitros head coach and general manager Derek Stuart, following Saturday's game. "We controlled the game and had control of our speed and our physicality and we got a lot of pucks on net. I thought their goalie played really good tonight."
After a special ceremony honouring the 1977/78 Kimberley Dynamiters, who have been inducted into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame for their historic season and win of the Allan Cup, the game began.
Nate Tillmanns capitalized on an early power play and started what would become an onslaught of Kimberley goals. Danik Reeves made it 2-0 before the first period's end.
Pittsburgh product Billy Kiray then made it 3-0 two minutes into the second, the first of his two goals that night, and three that weekend.
Kiray joined the roster last season, and with the team's first round ejection from last year's playoffs — a first in over a decade — he and the other veteran players have a lot to play for this year.
"I know all those guys in the room from last year have been thinking about this since we went out in five last year," Kiray said. "We definitely learned a lot from it and getting that first win under our belts is definitely a good feeling, but that doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win game two, so we’ve just got to show up tomorrow and get ready to hit the crap out of them and get going."
Kimberley local Nate Murdoch would then make it 4-0 with just two seconds left in the second period on a shorthanded breakaway. Kiray's second goal and one from Luke Davies made it a 6-0 shutout to start the series.
"It’s not a skill thing it’s a work ethic thing," Kiray said, when asked how the team will keep up that intensity throughout the series. "If we outwork them every inch of the ice then the skill will take care of the rest."
Isaac Sommer is another veteran player and a Kimberley native. His brother Justin scored the game-winner in game seven overtime to secure the Dynamiters their Teck Cup victory two seasons ago. He dropped the gloves for a second-period fight on Friday and discussed how this year's rule change to prevent suspensions from fighting can change the dynamic of the games.
"I think it just changes the element, if they’re going to go around and push our top guys around we can’t let that happen," he said. "If we’re willing to fight, they won’t do it as much."
Saturday night's game got off to a relatively slower start, with the Thunder Cats scoring their first of the series less than 30 seconds into the first. Isaac Sommer would then answer back, but Creston soon reclaimed the lead. A goal from Danik Reeves, his second of the playoffs, tied things back up heading into the second.
Luke Davies scored the only goal of the second period, Creston was unable to get a shot off during the entire second, despite having a power play.
"We were very good in our own zone tonight after the first period," Stuart said.
Nate Tillmanns scored his second goal of the playoffs in the third period, with Kiray third playoff goal making for a final score of 5-2.
"Nate was great last night, I had to give him a kick in the ass in the first period, but after that he was really good," Stuart said. "He scored a huge goal, we were pressing quite a bit when it was 3-2, there was a lot of chances to make it 4-2, so to finally get that fourth one took a little bit of weight off our shoulders and we were able to close it out."
Tillmanns joined the team this season following a trade from the Grand Forks Border Bruins.
"Feel like I just need to keep shooting and getting to the net," he said. I’m a big guy and they can’t handle me in the front, defence keeps shooting and we’re going to keep winning.
"The boys are great, everyone’s bonding. We’re really dialled in on playoffs, everyone wants to win, that’s what it takes."
The Dynamiters had just one day to rest, before heading to Creston for games three and four on Monday and Tuesday.
