Dale Howell scored and had two assists in Nelson's 5-3 win against the Fernie Ghostriders on Saturday.
Devin Allen made 37 saves in net for the Leafs (19-21-5), who snapped a four-game slide. Alex Meeker, Nicholas Wihak with a short-handed goal, and Jacob Karran also scored.
Brendan Nemes, Tayler Sincennes and Keelan Saworski replied for the Ghostriders (24-18-3), while Brandon Youngson stopped 32 shots.
The result, combined with Grand Forks' 6-2 loss to Castlegar on Saturday, means the Leafs are still in the race for third place in the Neil Murdoch Division with just two regular-season games to play.
Nelson is three points behind the Border Bruins, which means the Leafs need to win their final two games and for Grand Forks to drop their final two.
The Beaver Valley Nitehawks are firmly in first place, while the Rebels have locked up second.