The Kimberley Dynamiters’ regular season came to a close this past weekend in dramatic fashion, with two games against the Fernie Ghostriders, their historic rivals, with one game at each team’s home arena and the Eddie Mountain Division Championship title on the line.
Ultimately, the Dynamiters would split the weekend winning the Friday home game 3-2 and losing in Fernie 3-2 on Saturday, with the Ghostriders emerging division champions for the first time since the 2014/15 season.
Local fans packed the Civic Centre on Friday for the last game of a very up and down season for the Kimberley Dynamiters.
Tyler Lindal opened the scoring late in the first period. Goals from Jake Watson and Parker Konneke, his 27th of the season, scored within 30 seconds of each other early in the second gave the Dynamiters some security.
“For my own play I’ve just got back to the whole meat and potatoes, getting pucks deep, getting my body out there, blocking shots as well just being good in the D zone,” Watson said after Friday’s game.
“And for overall play for the team I think we really bounced back, like getting everyone back in the lineup and we’re all getting back to that hard-work Dynamiters hockey from first line to fourth line even the guys sitting they were ready to get back in the lineup. We’ve really bounced back just with work ethic.”
The Ghostriders weren’t about to go quietly and a goal shortly after Konneke’s from Landon Hedges put them right back in the game. They played very aggressive hockey throughout the third but Matt Fleet’s stellar play in net held them back.
“Fleet’s been amazing lately, he’s held us in a few games and he helps us out big time just with his leadership as well,” Watson said. “Even our backup Ponto as well, both are really good goalies, I would say top in the league, so very thankful to have those guys in the back end.”
“I think it was a big win for the team, we’ve been rolling recently here,” Fleet said. “It was a gutsy win tonight, I feel like we didn’t have our best at times, but we found a way to getter done and two games against Fernie to finish the year, there’s not much more you can ask for, especially in my 20-year-old year, so it’s been a lot of fun.”
Fleet said he learned a lot from playing with Trystan Self last year, or Selfie as the team refers to him, who was named the best goaltender in the league.
“We had a great relationship, and just trying to take what I learned from him and other things I’ve learned from my goalie coaches as well, I feel like I’ve developed really well over the three years,” Fleet said. “I’m just trying to make a positive difference in the room, whether I’m playing or not playing, I’m just trying to help the guys out and have a good time.”
Fernie took the first lead of the game on Saturday, but goals from Kade Leskosky and Trey Stephenson put the Nitros into contention. However, Fernie woud then tie things back up with a power play goal from Eli Neilsen and then Dayden Collier would find the goal also on a power play late in the third to secure the Ghostriders the win.
“The first two periods were even then our conditioning allowed us to take control of the game in the third,” head coach, GM Derek Stuart told the Bulletin following Saturday’s game. “Unfortunately in competitive sports you don’t always win when you deserve to.”
With the regular season wrapped up, the Dynamiters now head into the first round of the playoffs, where they will welcome the Columbia Valley Rockies on Friday, Feb. 23 and Saturday, Feb 24.