Still winless through nine games, the Grand Forks Border Bruins took little steps despite a 10-2 loss to the Kimberley Dynamiters on Friday night.
For the most part, the team managed to match the Dynamiters pound-for-pound in the first period, going into the first intermission knotted at 1-1 and was only outshot 14-9, but the wheels fell off in the second as the Border Bruins were outscored 7-1 and outshot 23-6.
“We played, realistically, two and a half good periods but there was a 10-minute stretch (in the second) where they got a few goals and once they got a few goals, we started panicking,” explained Head Coach and GM Brent Batten.
“As soon as that panic sets in, it’s tough to climb back and that really cost us tonight.”
Although Nathan Nicolson allowed nine goals and was pulled with 4:25 in the second (only to return for the third) the local netminder had his moments, cutting down angles and making some good saves; he made 27 on the night.
“It’s unfortunate, the goals against aren’t really indicative of how he played; he did have a solid game for us,” Batten said of his goalie.
The coach said that he pulled Nicolson late in the second to give him an opportunity to clear his head and refocus for the third. While Nicolson said he felt good in warmup, there were too many second and third opportunities.
“I was seeing the puck well and all that but there were a lot of rebounds,” explained Nicolson.
“There’s not much you can do when it’s third and fourth shots afterwards. I thought I was playing pretty good. I got pulled but it was just for me to take a breather, it was a chance for me to settle myself down.”
Forward Austin Lee scored both goals for the Border Bruins, the first one was shorthanded.
“The first one, we were penalty killing and the guy just fell and I just got some breakaway speed and just shot top right, hoped for the best and it worked out well,” said Lee.
In terms of shots, the team did fire 27 pucks at Kimberley goalie Braeden Ostepchuk and Batten said that it was an area that the team has been seeing steady improvement on.
“Shots on net is one area that we’ve been steadily increasing as the games go on; we’re getting a little bit (better) there,” Batten said.
“I think it comes down to a lot of things. We have to realize that you can’t score goals without putting the puck on net and the boys are slowly starting to get that.”
The team had another game Sunday and lost 11-4 to the Summerland Steam.