Leafs blast Braves 7-2 to advance to Murdoch Final; Game one Friday at NDCC Arena
By The Nelson Daily Sports
For the first time in the entire Murdoch Division Semi Final against the Spokane Braves, the real Nelson Leafs stepped up.
Travis Wellman scored three times and Kootenay Ice netminder Jason Mailhoit was solid between the pipes leading the Leafs to a convincing 7-2 shellacking of the Braves in Kootenay International Junior Hockey League playoff action Tuesday night in Spokane.
Nelson wins the best-of-seven Murdoch Division Semi Final 4-2 and now hosts Beaver Valley Nitehawks in Game one of the divisional final Friday at 7 p.m. in the NDCC Arena.
Game two is Saturday in Nelson.
After failing to score in five periods of hockey, Nelson took a 2-1 lead after one period.
The Leafs extended the lead to 5-1 after two before out scoring the Braves 2-1 in the third.
Wellman, finishing the game with five points, snapped a three-game goaless streak with the trick Tuesday.
Darnel St. Pierrie, Austin Seaman, Carsen Willans and Connor Tetlock also scored for the Leafs.
Willans has four points while Linden Horswill also broke out of a point slump, finishing with three assists.
Tyler Peltram and Tanner Stolz replied for Spokane which loss all three games at home.
Nelson’s special teams also broked out of a slump, going 5-for-7 on the power play. At one point of the game, the Leafs were 4-for-4 with the man advantage.
Mailhoit, back up for the Leafs throughout the series due to an injury to starter Brad Rebagliati, was thrust into the starting role when Nelson goalie Adam Maida injured a knee during Game five of the series Monday.
Mailhoit, who played the season in the BC Major Midget League with the Ice, finished the game with 33 saves as Nelson out shot the Braves 42-36.
Maida is out for the remainder playoffs.
The status of Rebagliati is also questionable, forcing Leaf management to put in a call to Castlegar Rebels to see if rookie netminder Patrick Zubick was available.
Zubick, who played two games for Castlegar during its series against Beaver Valley, lost both starts.
The Leafs were once again without the services of leading scorer Jamie Vlanich, who suffered an upper body injury February 14 against Grand Forks.
Status of Vlanich remains questionable for Friday’s opener.
