The Golden Rockets were good for what ailed the Nelson Leafs.
The Leafs, mired in a five-game losing streak, faced the league-worst Rockets in Golden Friday night and feasted, skating to a 5-0 win. Patrick Ostermann stopped all 23 shots he faced and Tyler Garcia had a goal and two assists en route to the victory.
The first period was actually scoreless, but the Leafs put up four in the second period and one more in the third. Eamonn Miller, Kolten Nelson, and Jordan Davie chipped in a goal and an assist each while Nick Novin had a pair of assists.
"We outworked them I thought in the first period quite a bit, we just didn’t score on our chances," said head coach David McLellan. "In the second the opportunities we got we really capitalized. It was a game where a lot of the stuff we’ve been working on really came together."
In the second period, referee Nick Painter threw the book at Golden, assessing Tanner Wit a high-sticking minor and a 10-minute misconduct, and banishing Sean Ripley with a fighting major, minors for instigating and interference, and a game misconduct. The Leafs escaped both incidents without drawing any penalties.
The Leafs took 29 shots on Golden goalie Brody Nelson.
LEAFLETS: Friday’s win puts Nelson back into third place in the Neil Murdoch Division, one point ahead of Grand Forks, with three games in hand. The Border Bruins fell 4-1 in Castlegar on Friday.
• The first-place Beaver Valley Nitehawks suffered an uncharacteristic 10-2 shellacking in Creston on Friday, despite opening the scoring. It was tied 1-1 after the first period, but the Thunder Cats came alive in the second and third, scoring four and five goals respectively.
• The Leafs continue their road trip Saturday in Invermere against the Columbia Valley Rockies.