Rebels roll to 5-0 win over hapless Leafs
By Bruce Fuhr
There’s a reason why the Castlegar Rebels are Kootenay International Junior Hockey League regular season champs.
The Rebels have not one but two great goalies, the defence is solid anchored by captain Erik Alden and the forwards skate miles and hit anything that moves in the opposing jersey.
All three facets were on display as the Rebels rolled past a Nelson Leafs team that only a few weeks ago was on pace to clinch their own league crown.
“We were had with a bunch of adversity on the team, hit a slump and just couldn’t recover,” said Leaf captain Colton Schell after the Rebels put a 5-0 pounding on the Green and White in KIJHL action before 700-plus fans Saturday night at the NDCC Arena.
Despite entering the contest winless in six games, Nelson could still clinch home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
But any momentum the Leafs had playing the final game of the regular season at home was dashed 28 seconds into the game when Diego Bartlett scored his first of two on the night.
Two power play goals in the second period by Bartlett and Bryan Lubin, the latter coming on a perfect backdoor play Nelson goalie Marcus Beesley had no chance of stopping, and the rout was on.
Castlegar’s leading scorer Stuart Walton ended any chance of a third-period comeback with an unassisted marker 65 seconds into the third frame before Braydon Horcoff rounded out the scoring.
Five goals was more than enough for perhaps league MVP Jordan Gluck who continues to frustrate the Leafs.
Gluck made 22 saves to register his third shutout of the season against Nelson.
In five games against the Leafs this season, the Scarsdale, NY native has won all five times, shutout the Leafs three times and has sparked the Rebels to an 18-4 goal advantage.
“I don’t know what happened because we all knew going into the game that a win gives us home ice advantage (in the first round of the playoffs),” Schell said.
“I don’t know if some of the guys weren’t prepared or what but we took bad penalties and they capitalized on their power play while we couldn’t score on ours.”
Castlegar, winners of six straight heading into the playoffs, host Spokane Braves in round of the Murdoch Division semi finals beginning Friday in the Sunflower City while Nelson travels to Fruitvale to face the Hawks on the same night.
Game two goes Saturday in Castlegar and Fruitvale before the series shift to Spokane and Nelson Monday, February 25.
BLUELINES: Referee Jim Maniago handed out more than 100 minutes in penalties in the chippy game. . . .Rebels Stuart Walton and Leafs James Sorrey were ejected in the third for fighting. . . .Leafs played without the services of rookie defenceman Cole Arcuri, out for the season with a shoulder injury. . . . Beaver Valley swept its weekend series against Spokane, winning the final game 4-1 to clinch second place in the Murdcoh Division, two points in front of Nelson.
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