Leafs edge Bruins to grab two-game lead in Murdoch Division Semi
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Two up and two down for the Nelson Leafs.
Michael Bladon scored with seven minutes remaining in the game to lift the Leafs to a 3-2 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League victory Saturday night at the NDCC Arena.
Nelson, victors 3-2 in overtime Friday in Game one, now leads the best-of-seven Murdoch Division Semi Final 2-0 with the series now shifting to the Boundary City for Games three and four, Monday and Tuesday.
Bladon’s goal came unassisted, snapping a 2-2 tie after Rilee Poffenroth tied the game on the power play earlier in the third period.
The teams were tied 1-1 after 20 minutes after Jason Laporte, with a shorthanded tally, and Riley Smoler exchanged goals.
Smoler’s marker came on the power play with Bladon in the box for roughing.
Ryan Cooper, with his second in as many games after scoring the OT winner Friday, gave Nelson a 2-1 lead after two periods.
Nelson outshot the Bruins 23-19 in the tight, defensive battle.
Josh Williams of the Leafs once again outdueled former teammate Quinn Yeager in goal to register the win.
In Castlegar, Tanner Douglas stopped all 22 shots to allow the Rebels to blank the defending KIJHL Champion Nitehawks 3-0.
The Rebels lead the best-of-seven set 2-0 with the series moving to Fruitvale Monday.
In Eddie Mountain Division of the Kootenay Conference, Kimberley hammered Fernie 8-2 to lead the series 2-0.
Meanwhile, in Creston, the Columbia Valley Rockies upset the Thunder Cats 5-2 to even the series at 1-1.
In the Okanagan/Shuswap Conference, 100 Mile House, Osoyoos and Revelstoke all hold two-game leads.
BLUELINES: The win was the tenth straight this season for the Green and White over Grand Forks. . . . For the second game the Leaf coaching staff held Captain Sawyer Hunt out of the lineup. Nelson coach Mario DiBella had said Hunt, the team’s leading scorer, was to play Saturday, but decided against it prior to game time. Hunt had been the ironman of the Leafs, playing in 45 of Nelson’s 47 games. The Nelson Minor Hockey grad has now missed four games — the final two games of the regular season and the first two of the playoffs. . . . Another key cog of the Leafs veterans, Zach Morey, also missed both games, including the final two games of the regular season. . . . Nelson did get defenceman Dash Thompson back into the lineup for Nelson . . . . Nelson called up affiliate Marty Ingram for the game. . . . Ryan Cooper, Nicholas Wihak, Jack Karran, Michael LeNoury and Ryan Piva are all tied for the lead in playoff points for Nelson, each with two. . . . Rilee Poffenroth leads Grand Forks in playoff scoring with a pair of goals. . . . The two games attracted more than 1200 fans.
