Nolan Welsh has played a lot of hockey in three years as a B.C. Hockey League right winger.
Safe to say what he did to his former team Monday night in Victoria has to rate as the highlight of his career.
His two-goal, one-assist effort in a 4-2 win over the Victoria Grizzlies in front of 1,254 witnesses at the Q Centre left the Prince George Spruce Kings one win away from eliminating the Grizzlies from the BCHL playoffs.
Traded by Victoria to the Spruce Kings two summers ago, the Grizzlies were probably wishing they still had the services of the 19-year-old Whistler native on their side.
Welsh scored the gamewinner while shorthanded seven minutes into the second period and connected for the insurance goal while on the power play in the third period to spark the Kings to their 11th win in 12 playoff games this year. They can sweep the best-of-seven Coastal Conference championship with a win in Game 4 tonight in Victoria.
Lucas Vanroboys and Layton Ahac also scored for the Spruce Kings. Defenceman Max Coyle had a pair of assists. Riley Hughes and Kyle McGrath lit the light for the Grizzlies, who have lost all three games of the series by 4-2 counts.
A three-goal second period gave the Spruce Kings the edge.
Victoria's big scoring line connected for the opening goal of the game 1:56 into the period. Alex Newhook got the puck in deep and spotted Hughes for an easy tap-in. But just 30 seconds later the Kings answered with a goal from Vanroboys. He popped in the rebound after linemate Corey Cunningham, the BCHL's player of the week, let go a hard shot that went off Kurtis Chapman's glove and dropped just outside the crease.
The Kings kept their feet moving in the Victoria end while holding the puck and were rewarded with the lead three minutes after Vanroboys' goal. Patrick Cozzi spotted defenceman Ahac creeping into the slot and he let go a wristshot that sailed in past Chapman's glove.
Welsh made it 3-1 game at the 7:24 mark of the second, scoring the Kings' third shorthanded goal of the playoffs. The play started in the corner where Coyle used his body to shield the puck and tie up the Grizzly forecheckers. Welsh then forced Carter Berger to cough the puck up at the blueline along the right side and while trying to maintain control Berger lost his helmet and had to leave the ice. That set up a 3-on-1 for Welsh, who chipped the puck ahead to Ben Poisson. He fed it to Dylan Anhorn, who passed to Welsh, and he ripped a shot in behind Chapman.
The Kings got into penalty trouble late in the period and got caught with too many men on the ice. Kyle McGrath won the ensuing face-off and got the puck back to Newhook, who took it deep and fed it back to Berger and he set up McGrath for a onetimer from the the circle beat Logan Neaton and cut the deficit to 3-2.
In the third period, Welsh scored his third of the playoffs on a power play 3:44 into the third period. He parked himself in front of the net and deflected in Ahac's shot from the point, the Kings' 39th shot of the game. The Kings had more energy in their legs and went into lockdown mode, controlling much of the play the rest of the game.
The Spruce Kings outshot the Grizzlies 22-9 in the first period, taking advantage of some bad giveaways in the Victoria end and wayward breakout passes they intercepted in neutral ice, but couldn't score. Ben Brar was denied on two breakaway chances.
Logan Neaton picked up his 11th win of the playoffs, making 27 saves in the Kings' nets. They outshot the Grizzlies 46-29.
In Game 2 Saturday at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena, Cunningham scored two goals, including the gamewinner, 18:57 into the second period, to give the Kings their second win in the series. Dustin Manz also scored a pair to help cinch the victory for the Spruce Kings, who improved their playoff record on home ice to 7-0.
Riley Hughes and Cameron Thompson, both on Victoria power plays, scored for the Grizzlies.
Neaton won his 10th game of the playoffs, making 19 saves as the Kings outshot the Grizzlies 27-21.
Cunningham, who led the Kings with a goal and an assist in Friday’s series opener, had four goals and four assists in 11 games heading into Monday's game.
The Grizzlies survived a seven-game series with Powell River after sweeping Alberni Valley to start the playoffs and they’ve been unable to amp up their game another notch to keep pace with the Spruce Kings, who needed just five games to eliminate Coquitlam, then swept Chilliwack in a four-game series.
Game 5, if necessary, will be played Thursday in Prince George. If Game 6 is needed it's set for Saturday in Victoria, with Game 7 scheduled for Monday in Prince George.
Game 3 of the Interior Conference championship between the Vernon Vipers and Wenatchee Wild will be played tonight in Vernon. The Wild tied the series 1-1 Sunday with a 3-0 win at home.
