By Malcom Cooke
The Nanaimo Clippers returned to the friendly confines of the Frank Crane Arena and emerged with a 3-1 victory over the Chilliwack Chiefs. The Clippers remain in first place in the Coastal Division with a 19-4 record after the win. Nanaimo's goals came from Skylar Cameron, Kai Daniells, and Mike Murtagh. Goaltender Aidan Campbell stopped 23 of 24 shots faced to earn his 14th win of the season.
The first period started with physical play from both teams. Jérémie Payant took a stretch pass from Micheal Craig early in the first, but could not score on the partial breakaway. A penalty to Brody Waters halfway through the first left the Clippers on the penalty kill. On the PK, a weird bounce from the corner left a Chiefs player all alone in front of the net. Campbell made a sprawling cross-crease save to keep the game scoreless. The Clippers appeared to break the deadlock with five minutes to go in the first, but the goal would be called back for contact with the Chiefs goaltender in his crease. Nanaimo outshot Chilliwack 8-6 in the first period.
Chilliwack had to make a goaltending change early in the second period when Lucas Szyszka suffered an equipment malfunction. Austin McNichols would play four minutes of relief, but the Clippers were unable to take advantage of the situation. The Clippers got their first power-play opportunity early in the period but were unable to score. New Yorker Mike Murtagh went coast to coast midway through the period before dropping the puck back to the point. A pass between Nanaimo-born defenceman Brett Merner and Skylar Cameron ended in the Clippers' first goal of the game when Cameron fired the puck short side past the Chiefs' goaltender. Leading scorer for the Clippers, Kai Daniells, stripped the puck off the stick of a Chiefs player and beat out a Szyszka poke check attempt to put the home team up 2-0. In the dying minutes of the second, an open-ice hit on Rylan Yates led to a brouhaha that saw the Clippers come out with a 5-minute power-play going into the third.
The five-minute power-play in the initial minutes of the third period did not result in a Clippers goal. The Chiefs cut the lead to 2-1 midway through the third on a play that saw Aidan Campbell get bumped by a teammate. Nanaimo had another power-play opportunity late in the third but could not score. Mike Murtagh potted an empty net insurance goal to seal a 3-1 Clipper victory.
The Clippers swept the three stars. Daniells, Campbell, and Cameron going 1 2 3. Jérémie Payant earned FortisBC Energy Player of the game.
Saturday sees the Clippers at home again to face the Merritt Centennials. Tickets can be purchased at Nanaimoclippers.com or the Frank Crane box office prior to puck drop.
