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Captain Karran powers Leafs past Border Bruins

The Nelson Daily Sports
By The Nelson Daily Sports
November 25th, 2018

Nelson captain Jack Karran led by example, scoring the winning goal late in the third period sparking the Leafs to a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Grand Forks in Kootenay International Junior Hockey League action Saturday night at the NDCC Arena.

The win allows the Leafs to gain a weekend split against Murdoch Division opponents.

Friday, in Castlegar, the Rebels surprised the Leafs 4-2. The win was only the sixth of the season for the Sunflower City franchise.

Karran, with his second of the game, combined with Tulsen Fawcett to beat Ross King in the Border Bruin nets for the game-winning goal. The goal completed a third-period comeback for the Green and White after Zane Avery, scoring his second of the contest, gave the Bruins a 3-2 advantage early in the frame.

Easton Jolie, converting a first-period breakaway, and Keenan Crossman also scored for Nelson.

Nathan Cohen-Wallis had the other goal for the visiting Border Bruins, trailing Beaver Valley Nitehawks for third in the Murdoch Division. 

Nelson finished the game outshooting the Bruins 46-39. However, the home team struggled on the power play, going 0-for-9 with the man advantage, including three attempts in the opening frame.

Leaf goalie Hunter Young registered his third win of the season in six attempts.

Friday, the host Rebels played anything like a bottom-feeder in the Murdoch Division.

Tristan Jones in the first period and Jesse Belley, scoring a back-breaker for the Leafs with three seconds remaining in the frame, gave Castlegar a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes. Karran, cut the margin in half with a goal to start the third.

However, Aiden Cornell and Reid Wilson sandwiched goals around Karran’s second of the game to power the Rebels past their West Kootenay rivals.

Castlegar outshot the Leafs 30-26 in the game. Once again, Nelson was dreadful on the power play, going 0-for-six with the man advantage.

Nelson, improving to 16-6-1-1 in the Murdoch Division, leads Spokane by seven points.

The Braves and Leafs rekindle what is proving to be a bitter rivalry Friday in the Lilac City when Nelson travels to face Spokane.Saturday, Nelson returns to the NDCC Arena for another Murdoch Division contest when the Leafs host Castlegar Rebels at 7 p.m.

ICE CHIPS: Nelson played Saturday’s game with nine forwards. . . . Jack Karran earned the Leafs Firefighter of the Game for his performance Saturday. . . . Karran is carrying the Leafs on his back offensively, taking over from former team scoring leader Ryan Piva who moved onto the Junior A with Drayton Valley of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Karran scored four times during the weekend and has a four-game point streak. . . . Saturday’s loss was the third straight for the Bruins, which have been outscored by an 18-7 margin.

 

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