If the Nelson Leafs’ playoffs end in the first round, how it happened won’t be a mystery.
Chad Bates scored in overtime as the Grand Forks Border Bruins beat the Nelson Leafs 3-2 on Monday. The win gives the Border Bruins a 2-1 series lead ahead of Game 4 in Nelson on Tuesday.
Bates scored just four seconds into a power play after Nelson’s Quinn Ramsay was sent to the penalty box for tripping.
All three Grand Forks goals were on the power play Monday night. Through three games, the Border Bruins have scored six of their seven goals with the man advantage.
“In a lot of ways we beat ourselves tonight,” said Leafs captain Leighton Partington. “We’ve got to stay out of the box, we’ve got to play harder, we’ve got to be tougher.”
Kieran Christianson and Quinn Ramsay each scored for the Leafs, with goaltender Karl Soneff making 33 saves.
Ben Edwards scored twice for the Border Bruins, while Ethan Shebansky stopped 37 shots.
Ramsay’s penalty came after he went down on the ice and sprawled out with his stick to stop the puck, only for it to catch a Border Bruin. It was a clear tripping penalty, albeit one that Ramsay obviously didn’t intend.
Leafs head coach Briar McNaney said his players can’t put themselves in a position to be called for a penalty, especially when Grand Forks isn’t as effective at 5-on-5.
“We’ve put ourselves in a situation to have them called on us and let it be someone else’s judgment call instead of up to ourselves and the way we need to play, and sometimes that can sting.”
Both teams nearly ended the game early in overtime on back-to-back plays but were stopped by a pair of unreal saves.
Soneff moved to clear the puck but gave it to Grand Forks’ JP Desabrais, who would have scored had Soneff not skated backwards and stuck out a pad just in time.
Only seconds later Nelson’s Parker White was sprung on a breakaway and forced Shebansky to make the save while falling backwards.
The Leafs took the lead on their first shot of the game. Ramsay tried to deke through the Border Bruins defence but was pushed to the corner. Partington gathered the puck and fed an open Christianson for the goal.
A couple big hits early on led to a fight only one minute after the goal. Desabrais was stopped on a breakaway by Soneff, who shortly after lost his temper when he was deliberately pushed by a Border Bruin. That led to a scrum and coincidental penalties.
Soneff was part of several mix-ups throughout the game. McNaney said he thinks that’s been part of Grand Forks’ game plan.
“I think they’ve made him a target since day one. It’s going to be up to the officiating to make those calls and unfortunately not us.”
Grand Forks tied the game only a few minutes before the first intermission. Leafs forward Camron Wickham drew a roughing call, and on the ensuing power play a shot by Edwards was deflected past Soneff.
After the first, the second period was by most metrics uneventful. The Leafs outshot the Border Bruins 18-8 but rarely threatened Shebansky who was dialled in.
Grand Forks nearly took the lead early in the third. Border Bruins forward Carter Skarbon flipped a shot up that rang off the crossbar, prompting Soneff to turn and give thanks to the iron as soon as play went the other way.
Nelson scored with nine minutes left in regulation. Memfis Burgeson carried the puck into the zone and connected with Ramsay on a 2-on-1 to put the Leafs ahead.
But nine minutes was too long for Nelson to hold the lead. White took a poorly timed tripping penalty, and on the ensuing power play Edwards backhanded a shot over Soneff to tie the game with 2:24 left and force overtime.
“We’ve just got to shut down defensively,” said Partington. “Karl’s playing unreal. You’ve got to play behind him and keep peppering shots on net.”
And maybe stay out of the penalty box, too.
Leaflets: Game 5 is Friday in Grand Forks. If necessary, Game 6 would be played Saturday in Nelson and Game 7 returns to Grand Forks on Monday.