Leafs start slow out of gates; drop second game of season 4-3 to Fernie Ghostriders
By Bruce Fuhr
Break up the team.
Fire the coaching staff.
Sell the . . . wait, wait just one minute.
Has anyone looked at the schedule?
That’s game two of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, not game 52 of the regular season for the Green and White from Nelson.
Check back at Christmas, or even at the end of September to get a better read on the 2015-16 edition of the Nelson Leafs.
“We’re young and this being the first two games of the season we’re still shaking off the nerves and rust,” Jo Davies, one of the veterans brought in by the Leaf coaching staff to provide leadership, said after Nelson lost another nail biter — 4-3 to the Fernie Ghostriders Saturday at the NDCC Arena.
The loss is the second in as many nights at home by the Leafs.
Kelowna Chiefs rained on the home-opening parade by scoring three unanswered goals en route to a 3-0 victory Friday in Nelson.
Saturday, a couple of gift-wrapped goals by the Leafs may have turned this KIJHL game from a win and into a loss.
Fernie captain Cole Kebler and Ty Carron scored less than two minutes apart in the first period to lead the Riders to the win.
The two goals snapped a 1-1 tie and gave the Ghostriders some much-needed momentum going into the second period.
“We just made some very simple, young mistakes that will be changed within the first month of the season,” Davie explained.
“We need more practice, obviously, but this is something we can fix by the end of September.”
Ty Carron opened the scoring for the Ghostriders five minutes into the contest before Andy Fitzpatrick tied the game two minutes later. But goals by Keebler and Caron stunned the Leafs.
Nelson struggled to get any pressure on Fernie netminder Jeff Orser in the second frame and paid dearly for the lack of shots as Keebler scored his second of the game in the middle frame.
In the third Tanner Costa and Davie scored to bring the Leafs to within a goal.
However, Orser stood tall in the nets to secure the road victory for the Ghostriders.
“There’s a lot of things we liked about the weekend,” said Leaf head coach Dave McLellan.
“We held two good teams to low shot totals,” McLellan added.
“ Our penalty kill was very good . . . last night (Kelowna) was 0-for-6 and tonight we were able to battle back against a very good team.
“The defence is still pretty young, a little green still. We had five goals scored this weekend on bad pinches so there’s little things we still need to work on.”
Nelson outshot the Riders 28-19 in the contest, including a 13-4 count in the third period.
Orser rebounded from a 3-2 loss Friday to Castlegar to even his season record to 1-1.
Everett Yasinski registered a loss for the second night in a row in goal for Nelson.
The Leafs host Spokane Friday at the NDCC Arena before heading out on the road for five game road trip beginning Sunday, September 20 in Grand Forks.
LEAF NOTES: Leaf coach Dave McLellan was coy when asked if he expects any changes to the lineup this week. The second year skipper said it all depends on what happens at the BC Hockey and Alberta Junior Hockey Leagues. . . . Leafs were missing three key players from the roster due to injury. Forward Rayce Miller and defencemen Brendan Smith and Davis Andrews were all missing from the lineup due to injury. . . . Nelson has only four 20-year-olds and three 19-year-olds on the roster. The bulk of the team — 13 players — are 17-18 years of age. . . . Beaver Valley won its second straight game, edging Kelowna 3-2 while Grand Forks Border Bruins are 1-1 after falling 7-2 to Summerland Steam.
