By Gary Moskalyk
Oliver Paipoonge, ON – Kam River scored three late goals to turn a tight 5-3 game into a convincing 8-3 win before 468 fans at Norwest Arena. Matthew Stephens stopped 62 of 70 to keep the Islanders in it for most of the game.
Kam River took a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes, with Carter Nailen and Kaden Goodwin doing the damage with powerplay goals in the first.
Kenora erupted for three in the second. Brayden Mackay scored 34 seconds into the period on an Islander powerplay to tighten the score to 2-1. Carter Poddubny re-established the two-goal margin at 3:17. Chance Traverse made it 3-2. Nickolas Fagnilli put the Walleye up 4-2 but Jarod Lemieux got his first of the playoffs with 2:01 left to shave the lead to one.
Brydon Bell gave Kam River a 5-3 edge at 6:44 of the third. With 2:33 left Jett Mintenko and unassisted markers by Evan Lachimea and Caleb Labelle put the game away.
Ashton Sadauskas made 16 saves for his second playoff win.
Mintenko also had two assists for a three-point night. Fagnilli and Goodwin added an assist each, and Easton DeBray had a pair of apples to complement the Kam River offence. The Islanders were 1-4 on the powerplay while Kam River was 2-8.
The Islanders took 48 of 68 penalty minutes.
Games three and four are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in Kenora.