#30 Shawn Shelest turns a shot to the side of the net with his blocker.
#11 Willyam Gendron his mobbed by his linemates after scoring Nanaimo's first goal.
By Malcom Cooke
The Nanaimo Clippers came up short on Saturday, losing 4-3 to the Chilliwack Chiefs. Falling behind two games to zero, the Clippers rest until Tuesday before heading to Chilliwack for critical games 3 and 4. Willyam Gendron was one of the lone bright spots for the Clippers, notching three points and earning the first star of the game in a losing effort. The Clippers made a valiant effort to make the game interesting after entering the third period down 4-1. Jeremie Payant and Ethan Mistry scored the final two goals in the comeback attempt. Shane Shelest started in between the pipes after Aidan Campbell got the start on Friday. The Clippers outshot the Chiefs 32-25 in the game, including a barrage of 15 in the third period.
Chilliwack opened the scoring less than two minutes into the game. The Chiefs continued to impose their will through the first period, including a power-play chance. It took only 20 seconds for the Chiefs to add to their lead with the man advantage, making the score 2-0. The lead would grow once again minutes later after Chilliwack scored their 3rd goal of the first period. Nanaimo had an opportunity to gain some momentum back after the Chiefs were penalized for holding. The Clipper power-play unit was unable to get on the scoresheet. The first period ended with Chilliwack being up 3-0 and outshooting Nanaimo 14-6 in an underwhelming performance.
Less than a minute into the second period, the Clippers finally managed to get on the board after Brody Waters strung a pass to Willyam Gendron who beat Chiefs goalie Lucas Szyszka up high. On his next shift, Gendron would take a penalty, leaving the Clippers shorthanded for the second time in the game. Nanaimo’s penalty-kill unit kept the score at 3-1. The Clippers would be handed their second power play of the game late in the second but did not score. The Chiefs were able to add to their lead late in the second on a sharp angle shot from Nico Grabas, giving the Chiefs a 4-1 lead. Prior to the end of the second, the Clippers drew another penalty for their third power-play chance of the game. The second period would end with the Clippers down 3 goals and being outshot 22-17.
Chilliwack’s penalty would expire early in the third period with the Clippers unable to cut into the lead. It would be the Clippers' turn to kill off a penalty after Kai Daniells got booked for hooking early in the third. The penalty would expire after a successful Clipper penalty kill. Jeremie Payant drew a high-sticking call midway through the third but could not score. Immediately after, the Clippers would get another power play that would suffer similar results or lack thereof. With 6 minutes to go in the game, Jeremie Payant took a cross-crease pass from Willyam Gendron and redirected the puck into the net to cut the Chiefs' lead to 4-2. A golden opportunity to cut into the lead some more was granted to Nanaimo after Chilliwack received a high sticking penalty. After the Chiefs' penalty expired Ethan Mistry stepped into a shot and found the back of the net to bring the Clippers to 4-3 with slightly more than a minute to play. The comeback effort ultimately fell short as the clock hit 0:00.
Gendron earned first star of the night with a three point output. Chiefs Brady Milburn and Sasha Teleguine took home second and third star. FortisBC Energy Player of the Game went to Jeremie Payant for his role in jumpstarting the Clipper offence. Games 3 and 4 take place in Chilliwack on Tuesday and Wednesday as the Clippers look to steal both games back and tie the series at 2-2.
