The Williams Lake Stampeders exploded for five first-period goals Saturday against the Burns Lake Braves and never looked back to advance to the Central Interior Hockey League playoff’s East Division final.
Williams Lake completed its best-of-three series sweep in front of some 600 fans at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex, combining for an 11-3 blowout of the visiting Braves.
“We played well, they played bad,” said Stampeders head coach Kelly Kohlen, who noted his team expected the Braves to come out harder, especially while facing elimination and after a tightly contested 6-5 Williams Lake win in game one last weekend in Burns Lake.
“But they have a small rink compared to ours and that changes the style they play compared to our rink. It’s to our benefit to play on our big ice.”
Williams Lake set the tone early when Wilfred Robbins found the twine for his first of a four-goal night on the game’s first shot just 24 seconds in.
The Braves poor fortune continued as both Paul Girodat and Francis Johnson lit the lamp prior to the three minute mark to give Williams Lake a comfortable early-game 3-0 cushion.
By the end of the first Gilbert Robbins added another and Wilfred potted his second of the game to put the Stampeders up 5-0.
Wilfred notched both his third and fourth goals before the midway point of the second period, capitalizing on two separate power play opportunities. Also scoring in the second for Williams Lake was Gilbert, with his second.
Burns Lake mounted some offence in the second when Daniel Konkin, Justin Weber (shorthanded) and Joshua Weber tallied markers to send it into the final frame behind five goals.
Rounding out the scoring for Williams Lake in the third period were Johnson and Girodat — both scoring their seconds — and Glen Camille.
Now, Williams Lake will meet the regular season’s Lightning Cup champion Smithers Steelheads in the East Division final.
The Steelheads completed its sweep of the Houston Luckies Saturday with a 1-0 overtime victory.
The Steelheads and the Stampeders traded a pair of victories on Jan. 15 and Jan. 16 in Smithers to close out the regular season.
“It should be pretty even,” Kohlen said of the upcoming series. “They’re pretty weak in the goaltending department, but as far as the teams go it’s fairly equal.
“They’re strong on defence, but if we play our game and use the open ice, use the big ice surface here, I think we’ve got a little more depth on our scoring lines.”
The Steelheads will have home ice advantage in the series with game one going this Saturday, Feb. 5 in Williams Lake at the Cariboo Memorial Complex. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
Kohlen said winning game one of the series on home ice will be key.
“As far as I’m concerned it’s huge,” he said. “If we get that first win we only need one there [in Smithers] and hopefully we can finish them on the Saturday up there.”
Game two and, if necessary, game three go the following weekend in Smithers on Saturday and Sunday.
The West Division final will see the Kitimat Ice Demons take on the Prince Rupert Rampage.
Both teams swept their first-round series. Kitimat eliminated the Terrace River Kings and Prince Rupert knocked off the Hazelton Wolverines.