The Kimberley Dynamiters split their weekend games, both of them on the road.
On Saturday night against Grand Forks, the Nitros lost 2 - 1, a game head coach and general manager Derek Stuart said they just as likely could have won, if not for a very hot Grand Forks goaltender.
Then on Sunday afternoon, the Dynamiters won in double overtime against the Spokane Braves. The final score was 3 - 2, with Ryan Piva, recently acquired in a trade, getting the OT winner.
“The results were not what we were looking for on Friday,” Stuart said. “But we played good enough to win. Grand Forks had a hot goalie. I was pleased with the effort. We had 40 shots. But their goalie was outstanding.”
On Saturday, Stuart was also pleased with the effort of his team, putting in almost five periods of hockey.
“We’ll take a win on the road,” he said. “We played Saturday night, then again on Sunday afternoon. That’s a lot of hockey in a short period of time.”
Stuart was intending to run shorter practices on Monday and Tuesday to allow the team a chance to rest up, then it’s a full practice on Thursday.
This Friday, the Dynamiters play their only weekend game, at home against Grand Forks.
“We lost to them at home in October,” Stuart said. “I’m expecting I won’t have to motivate the players for this one.”
Game time is 7 p.m. at the Civic Centre.