The Prince Rupert Rampage ended their regular season on a high note with an 8-0 win over the Smithers Steelheads.
Right from puck drop, the Rampage controlled the game with simple passes which led to extended time in the offensive zone.
While the Rampage had several good looks, they weren’t able to find the back of the net. That is until Steelheads forward Jonathan Creswell was penalized for hooking. On the ensuing power play, Rampage defenceman Reid Lindsay fired a slap shot from the point through traffic to give Prince Rupert a 1-0 lead.
Several minutes later, forward Jared Carter converted another scoring chance to make it 2-0. In the dying seconds of the period, Rampage forward Hunter Johnson earned a breakaway and, despite Steelheads goaltender Boden Derbyshire catching the puck in his glove, a lucky bounce sent it into the net to give the Rampage a 3-0 lead after the first period.
The second period saw the Rampage earn three power plays and convert on all of them, with goals from Lindsay, Judd Repole and Chance Waldhaus, giving the Rampage a 6-0 lead after two periods.
In the third period, the Rampage added two more goals from Repole and Jean-Luc Rendell-Fournier to cap an 8-0 shutout victory.
Head coach Roger Atchison said the dominant win will give the team a boost heading into the playoffs.
“Any time you lock a team down pretty good like that it’s got to be positive going in the playoffs, this game is a nice win, any time you can shut a team out in this league it’s pretty good”
With the regular season complete, the Rampage will focus on a one-game, winner-take-all play-in against the winless Kitimat Ice Demons at home on Friday. The winner will host Hazelton in the best-of-three west wildcard round beginning Saturday.
Atchison added that the Rampage will have to fight hard on the weekend.
“It’s going to be a tough weekend, we got Kitimat coming in on Friday which is a one and done game. So we have to win or we’re not playing Saturday.”
Both the game against Kitimat, and the potential game against Hazelton, will be played on Friday and Saturday with a 7 p.m. puck drop at the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre.
