Grady Nicholas joked he’s getting tired of the shootout.
In truth, opposition shooters are the ones getting sick of seeing the Carstar Okotoks Bisons netminder in the extra session as Nicholas backstopped his team to a 3-2 shootout triumph over the High River Brewing Co. Flyers on Saturday at the Murray Arena for his third shootout win in as many tries.
“When I was in Invermere, the GM there Wade Dubielewicz used to play in the NHL,” Nicholas said. “And he taught me to come way out and just match their speed and then you just wait them out and if they make a move, you follow them.
“It seems to be working so far.”
The three-round shootout saw Okotoks’ Easton Dean and Adam Kirkpatrick score with High River’s Connor Frost answering for the visitors. Nicholas then stopped Flyers’ sniper Connor Smith to clinch the victory.
“I just try to be myself and don’t like to overthink it in those moments,” Kirkpatrick said. “I have a few moves that work and just go with one and hope for the best. Deaner is pretty automatic so we’re lucky to have him in the shootout too.
“When we go into the shootout, the main thing is we know (Nicholas) is always going to shut the door for us.”
Kirkpatrick scored both goals in regulation for the Bisons with the later early in the third period to equalize the contest. Easton Weasel Head and Alex McIsaac countered for the Flyers.
Frost looked to have put the visitors in front late in the third period with the play waved off following a lengthy discussion by the one ice officials due to a violation on the faceoff.
“Those are the games we need to help us win at the end of the year,” Kirkpatrick said. “We can’t be winning 7-0, 8-0 every weekend. You want those 2-1, 3-2 games and that’s what helps you close them out.”
On Friday, Okotoks secured one of those aforementioned victories in a 7-0 shutout over the Mountainview Colts in Didsbury.
Eleven Bisons got on the scoresheet led by two-goal games from Ethan MacIntyre and captain Lucas Watkins. Kirkpatrick, Caden Scott and Jady Shigehiro lit the lamp, the latter his first with the Bisons.
Nicholas made 22 saves for his second shutout of the season.
“I love our D corps,” Nicholas said. “I’ve been on teams where I’ve worried about it, but I don’t worry about (this one) at all. We all have a system we’ve been following and I feel pretty comfortable back there.”
Winners of 13 games in a row, the Bisons (17-1-0) have a six point lead atop the wildly competitive Southern Division.
Okotoks will start December on the road with stops in Coaldale and Strathmore on Dec. 2-3 and its next home date on Dec. 9 versus the Colts.
For more information go to okotoksbisons.com.
