Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
Nicholas Nabuurs turned away all 19 shots he faced Tuesday night as the Napanee Raiders blanked the Gananoque Islanders 6-0 at home, moving just two wins away from franchise history.
Tuesday’s game, a make up from a postponed game back on Dec. 15, was Napanee’s third game in five days as they topped Campbellford 12-1 at home on Friday and edged Amherstview 4-3 on the road Sunday.
Ryan Casselman got Napanee going in Tuesday’s game, scoring the lone goal of the first period at the 8:01 mark.
Josh Murphy, Cullen Hinds and Riley Steeves tacked on goals in the second while Josh Murphy and Jacob Murphy closed out the scoring in the third.
Former Raider Cameron Parr got the start for the Islanders, making 61 saves in the losing effort. For Nabuurs it was his third shutout of the season.
Sunday’s game in Amherstview was a bit more tense as affiliated player Hunter Leonard scored the go ahead goal with just over a minute to go in the third. Napanee had trailed 3-2 early in the third before Casselman tied it up at the 6:29 mark. Tyler Ignazzitto and Justynn Steven also scored for Napanee in support of Jeremy Piazzi who made 23 saves.
Friday’s game was no contest as the Raiders potted six goals in the first to rout the last place Rebels. Steven had a hat trick. Nabuurs stopped 20 shots for the win.
Napanee now has just two games left to play to close out the regular season, facing the Picton Pirates on the road tonight and then hosting the Gananoque Islanders tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. If they can win those final two games they’d finish with a 37-2-0-1 record, which would give them a franchise (and division) record 75 points.
Their best-of-seven semifinal series against the fourth-place Jets gets underway Tuesday at the SPC starting at 7:30 p.m. Game 2 will be Feb. 23 in Napanee, at 7:30 p.m. Game 3 goes Sunday in Amherstview at 7:30 p.m. and Game 4 is Feb. 27, also in Amherstview at 8:30 p.m.
If necessary Game 5 would go March 2 in Napanee, Game 6 March 4 in Amherstview and a decisive Game 7 would be in Napanee on March 6. The potential final three games of the series have 7:30 p.m. start dates.
In the other playoff series, the second seed Port Hope Panthers will match-up against the third seed Pirates.
The winners of each respective series will meet in the league finals.