The scoreboard showed otherwise, but Austin Buzzell’s second shutout of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League season wasn’t exactly a cakewalk.
Buzzell recorded 32 stops as the North Okanagan Knights pounded the Chase Heat 9-0 Friday night at Nor-Val Sports Centre.
“He had to make some pretty big saves to keep his shutout preserved,” said Knights’ head coach Kris Mallette. “Chase usually gives us a pretty hard time.”
Defenceman Dylan Bowen powered the North Okanagan offence with four goals, most of them coming as he joined the play late.
Matty Saharchuk continued his scoring tear with his team-leading 26th, 27th and 28th goals. The Kelowna product scored twice on one shift.
Mallette was happiest to see the Knights’ eighth goal as it was the first of the season for rookie d-man Dryden Profeit. He buried a bar-down blast from the point.
“He is so well-liked on our team,” said Mallette. “Our bench erupted when he scored.
“To finally see it and get that monkey off his back was huge. He’s a big part of our penalty kill and he’s been playing fantastic hockey of late.”
The Knights (32-12-1-2) hold a share of first overall with the Nelson Leafs (32-12-2-1), who were 5-2 losers to the Beaver Valley Nitehawks Friday.
North Okanagan visited the Osoyoos Coyotes (25-15-0-6) Saturday night at the Sun Bowl.
