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Nitros Ready for Round TwoThe Kimberley Dynamiters will host Fernie tonight, the second of four games in a row against the rival Ghostriders.
Kimberley head coach Kevin MacKay said the Nitros aren't thinking in those terms.
"We don't want to look too far ahead: we want to look at the next game, which is Wednesday night at home," he said. "We want to get back to how we were playing before the break (5-1 in December to that point). We were doing some good things, so we just want to re-establish that pattern. It just happens we've got the next few games against them."
Kimberley has yet to register a win in four tries against Fernie (26-6-1-1) this season; their best result was a 2-2 tie at home on Halloween.
Their most recent loss came Monday night, 5-2 in Fernie. MacKay said the Nitros (17-13-1-3) played two good periods, but lost momentum in the third.
"Maybe it was being the first game back (from the holiday break), but that shouldn't be: it was their first game back too," he said. "They had a little more jump in the third than we did. We were kind of back on our heels and they were coming at us pretty hard. We never got any offensive momentum going. We played in our zone a lot and got beat to loose pucks, so that's how the game turned around."
MacKay said he wants his players to draw upon the first two periods, which had ended in a 2-2 draw.
"We want to establish that game plan, (remind them) how we played pretty good for two periods. We had a strong forecheck going, I thought we really did a lot of good things early in the game," he said, noting they had a strong defensive zone presence as well.
Tonight, MacKay said the Dynamiters would try to keep dump-ins away from Fernie goalie Jason Greenwell.
"A lot of times when we did dump in to forecheck it was right on net, and he can play the puck out pretty quick."
Defenceman Logan Gutfriend missed Monday's game with the flu. Top forwards Corey Allen and Brennan Foreman did come back from injuries, with the latter indulging in fisticuffs with James Werner late in the second period.
MacKay said the eight-day break helped his wounded players recuperate.
"We're probably not 100 per cent healthy, but I don't think you're ever going to get enough time off to get everybody healthy at this time. It's just a matter of fighting through these injuries."
Monday's game started about 40 minutes late because of an ice plant malfunction, but MacKay said Fernie's stands were packed by game time.
"I hope we can get those sorts of numbers back here," he said.
Tonight's is Kimberley Helping Hands Food Bank Night; fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food donations to the game (7:30 p.m., Civic Centre).
