JOSH LOCKHART
The Kimberley Dynamiters had a very successful weekend on the road.
On Friday the Nitros traveled north to Invermere to play against the Columbia Valley Rockies. For Ryan Skytt, it was his first game back in Invermere since being traded to the Nitros at the end of November.
“It’s a very strange feeling.” Skytt said about returning to Invermere. “I usually don’t get too nervous for games, after playing in the league for three years now. But this one, I definitely did feel some nerves; after my first shift, it slowly went away.”
Skytt opened the scoring for the Nitros early, and then they just poured it on. Brady Daniels, Brock Palmer, and Ryan Bennett all scored before the end of the first, chasing the Rockies starting goaltender from the crease.
Skytt then scored his second of the game early in the second. Moments later when Keegan McDowell scored on the power play, the Nitros made the game unreachable.
The Rockies did score their lone goal of the game in the second.
However, Brandt Bertoia and McDowell each added another goal to finish the scoring, and win the game 8-1.
In the two games that Skytt has played against his former team, he has scored four goals and one assist; and to add to that, since he was traded the Rockies have gone 5-9-1. Keep in mind, he was their captain when they traded him.
“I want to bring the same compete and drive to every single game I play,” Skytt said. “You want to make sure that you know that you are the best player you can be in those games, to make sure that they wish that you were still over there.”
The next day, two other Nitros, Daniels and Kole Halvorson, got to faceoff against their previous team, the Castlegar Rebels.
Similar to Skytt, both Daniels and Halvorson were in leadership roles on the team. Halvorson was the captain, and Daniels an assistant captain.
“It was weird for me,” Daniels said. “I played a full season there last year. We got a warm welcome coming back.
“But it was definitely weird being on the other side of things: in the other change room, on the other bench.”
The Nitros had scored 20 goals in their past three games heading into this game, but their high octane offence was tamed against the Rebels.
“With the team we have now, we know we can score.” Skytt said “It’s not the only way to win these games. We know we have a steady group of defensemen and two really good goalies.”
They were able to muster up two goals, by Spencer Kennedy and Cam Russell. While Brett Anderson built a wall of his own, stopping all 34 shots for his second shut out the season.
“It means a lot.” Anderson said. “Even though we are a really good team, if we don’t play our best, I can step up and give them a chance to win the game, and I think I did that.”
Anderson has quietly, but steadily, posted a 14-1 record, the second best record in the KIJHL.
“My record means a lot to me, just the fact that I only have one loss on the year to arguably one of the best teams in the KI, Kelowna. When other teams play us, regardless of whether it is me or Adam in the net, they know that they are in for a tough night.”
As for Stuart, he is extremely pleased with how the team has played, as they have held their opponent to two goals or less nine times in the last 10 games.
“I was extremely happy with our commitment to team defense in our three road wins this week,” Stuart said. “Our penalty kill was outstanding, and at even strength we limited our opponents to very few scoring chances.”
After embarrassing the Rockies in their own barn Friday, the Rockies sought revenge when they come to town on Tuesday. See the report from that game later this week in the Bulletin.
“They are going to be pretty pissed off, of course,” Daniels said. “We kind of smacked them around in their own arena. They will be coming out probably a lot harder and more physical.
“We are going to stick to our game plan, because it obviously worked.”
Puck drop is 7pm at the Kimberley Civic Centre.