The regular season rolls on as the Dynamiters clinch two very close wins over the weekend, with a 6-5 shootout win over the Chase Heat at home on Friday and a 3-2 win on the road against the Beaver Valley Nitehawks.
“I think right now we’re more focused on trying to get the guys to play all together and the right way as opposed to focusing on our results,” said head coach, general manager Derek Stuart. “We’ll take four points of course, but I wasn’t too happy with their play Friday at home.”
Stuart added that Saturday’s away game was made more difficult due playing at Beaver Valley’s rink, and he liked what he saw from his team in their ability to rise to the challenge.
“I was very impressed with their courage and how they did stick together, we just kind of let the Nitehawks back in after we got up 3-0,” he said.
“It’s hard to play hockey in that arena, it’s very, very small and it’s not the typical hockey brand that people are used to, so it comes down to whoever is more fearless, more courageous and more willing to pay the price in that rink and I thought we did a pretty good job in that department.”
This was the first time Kimberley has squared off against the Chase heat in quite some time, they didn’t play the Doug Birks Division due to the lingering effects of the pandemic.
Kade Leskosky opened the scoring less than a minute into what would be dramatic first period, with Chase ultimately leading 3-2. Each team scored a goal each on the power play in the second, and after another goal from each team in the third, Leskosky would tie it up with a minute and a half left in the third, already his fifth goal of the season.
With no goals scored by either team in overtime, goals from Cam Reid and Christian Mealey in the shootout would get the Dynamiters the win.
In Beaver Valley, the Nitros started strong, leading 3-0 heading into the third period, with goals from Jayden Kostiuk, Kasey Miller and Justin Sommer.
Although the Nitehawks made a charge in the third with two goals of their own, it would not be enough to turn the tide in their favour and the Nitros finished off the weekend with two wins and four points.
The weekend saw goals and solid play from veterans and rookie players alike, something intentional from the coaches’ perspective.
“We’re 100 per cent focused on our play and getting us going and getting us playing the way we want, not only systems-wise but just doing little things that we require Dynamiters players to do,” Stuart said. “We roll four lines right now, whoever’s up next goes out, we’re not really coaching like most other coaching staffs are right now.
“It’s something that we feel is important and has worked in the past and it makes the weaker players better come January. We’re letting everyone play right now and just focusing on getting everyone on the same page.”
He added the goals for new players at this point are nice bonuses and help to build confidence and he’s happy with what he’s seeing from the majority of the new recruits.
“They’re getting to play and showcase themselves and show us what they have,” Stuart said. “The rookies are doing great and goal scoring for them and getting points right now is probably just a bonus, they’re just focused on getting to play the way the coaching staff wants them to.”
The team also announced its 2022/23 leadership over the weekend. Ryan Bennett has returned as captain, with Cam Reid, Jayden Kostiuk and Kasey Miller assistant captains.
“I’m very, very happy with the leadership, the captain’s group,” Stuart said.
“Obviously Ryan Bennett was our captain from last year as well so to get Kostiuk and Reid and Miller, all first-time letter wearers with us, all very deserving and we let the players vote on the assistants and it’s a good sign for us as they were the exact same three guys that the coaching staff had in mind, so we’re all on the same page in that regard and very happy to see the four guys that are wearing letters for us.”
The Dynamiters had a somewhat rare Monday night game against Columbia Valley on Monday, Oct. 3 before two games against the Fernie Ghostriders on the weekend.
paul.rodgers@kimberleybulletin
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