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Kimberley cools Thunder Cats’ hot streak

A hot streak came to an end last week after the Creston Valley Thunder Cats earned only 3 of a possible six points.
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A hot streak came to an end last week after the Creston Valley Thunder Cats earned only 3 of a possible six points.

The T-Cats sandwiched a 7-2 win over the Fernie Ghostriders on Friday between an overtime loss last Tuesday and shutout loss to the Kimberley Dynamiters on Saturday.

Normally an overtime loss against division-leading Kimberley would not be devastating, but a disappointed home crowd on Tuesday saw Creston fritter away a 4-0 first period lead. The Dynamiters sent the game into overtime by scoring with only 9 seconds remaining in regulation time, then iced the win when Brock Palmer scored with a minute left in the second overtime period.

A better outcome against the Ghostriders on Friday sent fans home happy, but coach Brad Tobin wasn’t impressed with the way his players started the game.

“We didn’t have a great start. It took us ten minutes to get on the scoreboard but overall we weren’t engaged in the play for the better part of the first period,” he said on Sunday.

“Having Liam Rycroft back in the lineup for us was a big plus¬—it was good for him to get a goal in the first period and play a regular shift,” Tobin said. “Callum McGhee was in the lineup for the first time since the incident in Kimberley and he only had a few shifts but it was great to see him back.”

After giving up the game’s first goal to Jordon Kromm, the Thunder Cats bulged the twine three times before the first period was over. Carson Small (Kason Furukawa and Jack McCardle), Rycroft (Brayden Jellis and Bryce Sturm) and Darby Berg (Ronnie Wilkie and McCardle) scored the goals.

Wilkie (McCardle and Liam Plunkett) gave Creston a 4-1 lead in the second frame, but Kromm scored again and then Wilkie restored the 3-goal lead with help from Plunkett and Justen James.

Berg (Dylan Rantucci and Sturm) and Wilkie (James and Plunkett) stretched the home team’s lead in the final period.

“I was very impressed with the play of Darby Berg,” Tobin said. “He scored two goals, but it was his physicality on the forecheck and around the net that I really liked.”

The Thunder Cats took the team bus to Kimberley on Saturday night.

“It wasn’t a great game on our part—I was disappointed in our ability to make simple plays in both zones,” the coach said. “We seemed to be lacking something throughout the night. Levi Mitchell kept us in the game as long as he could but you can’t win games without scoring.”

Cam Russell took care of the game’s scoring, with goals in each of the first and third periods. The Thunder Cats came away with nothing for their 27 shots on goal.

“We’ve got 3 more games before the holiday break and need to feel good about ourselves with what we do in those games,” Tobin said.

The Golden Rockets, who came out on the short end of a 16-1 score a few weeks ago, visit Creston on Friday night for the T-Cats only game this weekend. On Wednesday, December 20, the locals head west to take on the Castelgar Rebels.

Next Game: Home to Golden Rockets

Friday, 15-Dec-2017 at 7:30pm Creston - Johnny Bucyk Arena