Leafs slide into KIJHL basement with weekend loses

Hole deepens for Leafs

Photo: File

The Leafs lost two more games on the weekend and have now taken sole possession of last in the KIJHL.

The Nelson Leafs are on a historic clip but it is in the wrong direction.

After two more losses on the weekend — with one in overtime — the KIJHL club is heading toward its worst finish in 20 years, and now finds itself in uncharted waters as the last place team in the 21-team league with a .289 win percentage (9-25-4).

Never in the last two decades have the Leafs finished at the bottom of the KIJHL standings, and have only sported a losing season two other times in that span — last season’s .455 win percentage (third in division at 19-23-1-1) and a dismal .394 win percentage (19-30-2-1, fourth in division) in 2015-16.

However, there is a chance to make it worse this season. The green-and-white take a 1-8-1 record into its last six games of the season and now sit — for the first time in 20 years — behind the Spokane Braves in the standings. The Braves picked up two wins on the season and are now at 30 points.

The biggest question is if the Leafs will break the 100-goal barrier for the team for the season. With six games remaining, the Leafs have only scored 88 goals as a team — nearly one quarter of those goals coming off the sticks of traded forwards Quinn Ramsay (15) and Cale Nachai (5) — and have averaged 1.7 goals for per game over the last 10 games, which would them just shy of the 100-goal plateau for the season.

The previous record for futility was set at 142 goals — last season and in 2015-16 — as the club has regularly scored close to 200 goals per season.

A decade ago the Leafs slide into a funk in 2015-16 at 14th in the then 20-team KIJHL — fourth in the division — but built on strong showings each year, hitting a peak of a .787 win percentage in 2018-19 (36-9). Since that season the Leafs have slipped slightly each year until the latest luckless run.

But with only two 20-year-olds on the roster — forwards Brad Boyarski and Devon Barclay — moving on, the young Leafs could begin the bud out next season.

On Saturday at the Nelson and District Community Complex, the Golden Rockets beat the Leafs 4-3 in overtime in front of 350 fans.

Hayden Iron Shirt scored the equalizer, then the winner for the Rockets giving him 22 goals. Beck Boiteau had a 25-save performance for Golden, while his teammates tested Leafs goaltender Jacob Armstrong, getting 50 shots on goal. Ryan Williamson scored his 16th goal for the Leafs, with Boyarski getting his fifth and Sean Milford his second goal. Jack Day had two assists.

For the first time over 10 games the Leafs held an opposing team’s power play without a goal, with the Rockets zero-for-six on the man advantage, but the Leafs were also unsuccessful in five tries.

Nelson Minor Hockey product Larson Proctor played in the game — his fifth of the season — as a 17-year-old, joining Leafs captain Sebastien Conne-Correnti as local products on the game roster.

• Quesnel River Rush (6) at Nelson Leafs (1)

The River Rush scored twice in under a minute for a 2-0 lead in the first period with Brendan Kindlein’s 11th goal standing as the winner.

Kyan Gray was fantastic between the pipes, stopping 40 of 41 shots — losing his shutout bid 1:43 into the third on Williamson’s goal (15). Luka Svircic led the River Rush with a goal and three points, while Isaiah Bagri scored his 24th goal.

Armstrong stopped 30 of 36 shots for the Leafs.

Around the Neil Murdoch Division

Sunday

• Quesnel River Rush (3) at Beaver Valley Nitehawks (4) OT
• Williams Lake Mustangs (4) at Grand Forks Border Bruins (9)

Saturday

• Williams Lake Mustangs (3) at Spokane Braves (5)

Deegan Sellers scored the deciding goal (18) 2:30 into the third period and had two assists, while Cameron Oien also had three points.

Quintin Barton made 26 saves for the victory. Logan Hauk netted his 22nd goal for the Wranglers and Alex Jessey made 34 saves in the loss.

Friday

• Golden Rockets (3) at Grand Forks Border Bruins (6)

Nash Wassing’s goal (13) to make it 4-0 at 11:10 of the third period stood as the winner after the Rockets fought back with three third period goals.

Jace Koole scored twice (15) for the Border Bruins and Eric Kahl made 30 saves. Rockets defenceman Maddox Depasquale had a goal and three points, while Nick Kotai stopped 38 of 44 shots.

• Spokane Braves (3) at Beaver Valley Nitehawks (2)

Down 2-0 after the first period, Konnor Klemick started the Braves comeback with a second period goal and Grayson Picicci netted the winner.

His deciding goal came on the power-play at 14:24 of the third period. Quintin Barton was very good making 37 saves, while Landan Uzeloc made 24 stops for the Nitehawks.

Ty Noseworthy opened the scoring with his 14th goal. The Braves are 3-18 when opponents score first.

Photo: KIJHL website

Neil Murdoch Division standings