OLIVER PAIPOONGE – If there was any doubt the expansion Kenora Islanders were going to be more than a speed bump on the road to a Superior International Junior Hockey League title defence, the Kam River Fighting Walleye didn’t waste any time putting it to rest.
The Fighting Walleye, playing in the cozy confines of their home digs, the Norwest Arena, continued their mastery of two-win Kenora, beneficiaries of a generous playoff format that invited all eight teams to the dance, routing the visiting Islanders 8-0 to open their best-of-seven first round playoff series.
On paper, 74 points separated the two teams in the standings. The Fighting Walleye scored 180 more goals in 49 games and allowed 214 less.
But as mismatched as the series might seem, not a player on Kam River is about to take the Islanders for granted.
It’s one game at a time, said Walleye forward Kaiden Goodwin, who scored twice in the first and added a second-period assist as the Fighting Walleye jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead after 20 minutes.
“I think it was important that we came out strong, show them that we’re obviously the better team and just try to stay out of the stuff they’re trying to start out there,” said Goodwin, who endured a 20-game goalless drought from late October to mid-January, but finished with 10 goals in his final seven regular season games.
“I think we’ve just got to tighten up our d-zone, stay strong, get in front of their shots and get the puck down to their end just as quick and easily as we can.”
Certainly things tighten up in the playoffs.
The Fighting Walleye outscored the Islanders 56-4 in their final five meetings, but were held in check for chunks of Friday’s opener, including the second period when Kam River could only manage one goal.
Coach Jesse Messier said there’s some areas that need work, but all in all, he’ll take the result.
“It’s a good way to start it, for sure,” he said. “There are some areas we can definitely clean up, but for a lot of guys, it’s their first playoff game too, so there were definitely nerves going into it.
“But we’ll build off tonight and keep moving forward.”
It only took Kam River 72 seconds to put their first puck past Kenora goaltender Matthew Stehens, Jett Mintenko taking a feed from Ryan Doucette, who picked off an Islanders pass, making one move and whipping it high into the mesh.
Goodwin doubled the lead at 5:55, redirecting a pass from Nicholas Fagnilli. Brydon Bell made it 3-0 at 10:54 and Goodwin finished off the four-goal first with Kam River’s first of three power play goals on the night at 16:52.
Carter Nailen notched the lone goal of the second period.
Doucette, Ryan Daponte and Liam Bell closed out the scoring with third-period tallies.
Ashton Sadauskas was perfect in net for Kam River, stopping 48 Islanders shots fired his way, to earn the shutout.
Game 2 is Saturday night at 7:45 p.m. at the Norwest Arena.
Sioux Lookout 7, Fort Frances 3: Cedrik Robidoux and Jonah Smith had two goals apiece to lead the Bombers to an opening game win. Brody Lindal led the Lakers with a goal and an assist.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Kam River, Mintenko 1 (Doucette) 1:12. 2. Kam River, Goodwin 1 (Fagnilli, J. Sargent) 5:55. 3. Kam River, B. Bell 1 (Duchesne, Poddubny) 10:54. 4. Kam River, Goodwin 2 (Wright, Debray) 16:52. Penalties: Duchesne KRW (interference) 2:39, Bertschinger KEN (high sticking) 13:15, Swampy KEN (slashing) 16:27, Nailen KRW (slashing), Zurkan KEN (unsportsmanlike conduct) 16:31, Doucette KRW. J. Sargent KRW (roughing), Kirkness KEN (cross checking) 17:48.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 5. Kam River, Nailen 1 (Goodwin) 15:19 pp. Penalties: Traverse KEN (unsportsmanlike conduct) 4:24, Rawn KEN (high sticking) 15:12, Kirkness (charing) 15:51.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 6. Kam River, Doucette 1 (Daponte, B. Bell) 7:40 pp.7. Kam River, Daponte (Doucette, Salvatore) 13:41, 8. Kam River, L. Bell 1 (Poddubny, Salvatore) 15:06. Penalties: Woodhouse KEN (slashing) 6:33, Scaringi KEN (misconduct) 7:11, Woodhouse KEN (cross checking), S. Sargent KRW (misconduct) 8:27, Debray KRW (misconduct), Bench minor KRW (too many men, served by Poddubny) 9:26, Wright KRW (misconduct) 15:53.
GAME DATA – SOG – Kenora 11-8-7-26, Kam River 19-18-11-48; Power plays (goals-chances) – Kenora (0-3), Kam River (3-7); Goaltenders – Kenora: Matthew Stephens, Kam River: Ashton Sadauskas. A: 528.
