The Nanaimo Buccaneers powered their way to a 5–2 victory over the Campbell River Storm Thursday night at the Nanaimo Ice Centre, jumping out to an early four-goal first period and taking a commanding 3–0 lead in their North Division playoff series.
Nate Barclay opened the scoring for Nanaimo, setting the tone for a dominant first period. Tristen Bailey, Jaxin Karst, and Casey Rutland followed with goals of their own as the Buccaneers built a 4–1 lead after the opening frame. Kai Verbrugge added another tally to round out the Buccaneers’ five-goal performance.
Goaltender Aaron Pichette delivered another strong night between the pipes, stopping 38 shots to help secure the win as Nanaimo carried period leads of 4–1 and 4–2.
With the victory, the Buccaneers now hold a 3–0 advantage in the North Division series and will look to close it out in the next matchup.
