OLIVER PAIPOONGE – The Kam River Fighting Walleye were going to have a target on their backs regardless of how they entered the playoffs.
Hitting Round 1 on a 15-game winning streak only makes it that much larger.
It’s also why it was important for the defending Superior International Junior Hockey League champions to battle their way to the regular season’s conclusion, finishing with a pair of close-knit games against the Red Lake Miners, the first team they’ve played in nearly a month that boasted a winning record.
Trailing 1-0 after one at the Norwest Arena, the Fighting Walleye scored four second-period goals on Saturday night and went on to down the Miners 5-3, a team that beat them three times in seven outings this season, handing Kam River three of its nine regulation losses.
“I think we’re feeling pretty good. Fifteen straight is a big accomplishment and going into playoffs with wins is definitely big. We’re going to keep it going and see how far we can run it this year,” said Kam River forward Ryan Doucette, whose second-period assist gave him 50 points on the season, third most on the Fighting Walleye.
Getting a couple of games in against a contender, and coming out on top, was important for the team, Doucette added.
“It felt like a playoff game out there. I thought the team battled very hard and that was a full team effort win. Our goalie played unreal and everyone came together,” he said.
Kam River coach Jesse Messier agreed wholeheartedly.
“It was huge. Tip of the cap to Red Lake. They play a really hard, playoff-style hockey, so it was really good. We went through a stretch where we weren’t playing too many tight games, but it was kind of the message that we sent to our group every day we came in – holding ourselves accountable to doing what we do and not what our opponent does,” Messier said.
“But it was definitely great to play Red Lake because they could be an opponent in the second round, if we’re lucky enough to get there.”
If Vegas was taking odds on the SIJHL’s opening round, there’s a good chance they might not even offer up the Fighting Walleye’s series against the two-win expansion Kenora Islanders, a team they outscored 54-6 in their five most recent encounters.
Still, the playoffs aren’t the time to start taking teams for granted, no matter how far the separation in the standings – in this case a 74-point gap.
“It’s a fresh start for everyone,” Messier said, reiterating the accountability he asked his team to seek out.
“We’re going to have all four lines and all three sets of D going. We’ve got to play fast. We’ve got to get on top. I think we strive when we play a good transition game, when we get out of our zone clean,” Messier said. “The less time we spend in our zone is going to be to our advantage.”
Red Lake’s Nathan Dann scored the only goal of the first period in this one, going high on Kam River goaltender Nathan Dann with 4:04 to play in the opening stanza.
Matteo Salvatore tied things up 3:50 into the second and less than two minutes later Braeden Duchesne put the Figthing Walleye on top for good, beating Noah Davis at the 5:17 mark.
Isiah Kinnvanthong made it 3-1 before the midway point of the second, but Red Lake’s Aiden Corbett notched his 31st of the year, bashing home a rebound on back-to-back-to-back shots from in close on VanderZwaag.
Carter Nailen, however, spoiled the comeback bid on a breakaway, and the Fighting Walleye took a 4-2 lead into the third. The Miners climbed to within a goal on a scramble in front of the Kam River net, Ethan Cerone finding the twine, but Max Wright put the contest out of reach with an empty netter with 73 seconds left in regulation.
Kam River will open the playoffs at the Norwest Arena on Friday night against Kenora. Red Lake will travel to Dryden to face the Ice Dogs, who clinched fourth place on Friday night. Dryden dropped a 4-2 decision to Thunder Bay on Saturday.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Red Lake, Dann 19 (Forester) 15:56. Penalties: Duchesne KRW (roughing) 10:04, McColl RLM (unsportsmanlike conduct) 12:08, Watt RLM (slashing) 17:38, Lachimea KRW (cross checking) 20:00.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 2. Kam River, Salvatore7 (Debray) 3:50. 3. Kam River, Duchesne 17 (unassisted) 5:17. 4. Kam River, Kinnavanthong 5 (Poddubny, Doucette) 9:18 pp. 5. Red Lake, Corbett 31 (Cerone, Lysak) 14:31. 6. Kam River, Nailen 9 (Layden) 16:00. Penalties: MacPherson RLM, Fagnilli KRW (misconducts) 3:12, McColl RLM (spearing double minor) 5:38, Doucette KRW (slashing) 6:31, Forester RLM (hooking) 7:28, S. Sargent KRW (slashing) 10:26, MacPherson RLM, Labelle KRW (misconducts) 12:00, L. Bell KRW (holding) 12:30,
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 7. Red Lake, Cerone (Watt) 0:58. 8. Kam River, Wright 9 (Goodwin) 8:47 en. Penalties: Debray KRW, Nailen KRW (misconducts) 3:22, Watt RLM (tripping) 6:38,
GAME DATA – SOG – Red Lake 10-8-15-33, Kam River 12-10-9-31; Power plays (goals-chances) – Red Lake (0-5), Kam River (1-5); Goaltenders – Red Lake: Noah Davis, Kam River: Travis VanderZwaag; A: 715.
