The Nanaimo Buccaneers travelled south for a Sunday road matchup with the Lake Cowichan Kraken.
Coming off a hard-fought loss in Port Alberni the night before, Captain Kai Verbrugge (4) opened the scoring to set the tone early.
Defenseman Ethan Nordli (4) doubled the lead with a power-play marker, sending the Bucs to the intermission up 2–0.
The Kraken cut the lead to 2–1 and fired 20 shots in the second period—fueled by four straight power plays—but Koen Gauthier restored the two-goal cushion with his seventh of the season (and second in as many games), making it 3–1 after two periods.
Rookie Madden Cruickshank sealed the deal in the third with his seventh of the year, giving the Buccaneers a well-earned 4–1 victory.
Goaltender Aaron Pichette was solid between the pipes, backstopping the Bucs to the win.
Next up: the Buccaneers return home to face the Campbell River Storm on Thursday, October 23. Puck drops at 7:15 PM at the Nanaimo Ice Centre.
