The Clippers have won two of three games in their season long five game run of consecutive road games. (Gary Dorland)

By Dan Marshall

No Home Cooking

VIDEO: Clippers fighting through adversity in string of road games

Nov 23, 2022 | 9:53 AM

NANAIMO — For nearly two months straight the Clippers hadn’t played more than two straight games away from home.

The team is now in a stretch of five straight away from Frank Crane Arena and the first three games have brought several roadblocks.

Defenceman Ethan Mistry felt there were a lot of positives to take from a 2-1 record thus far.

“There were some exciting moments in the last few games for sure. We were fortunate to come out on top in two of those. Against Surrey we laid it all out there, but we didn’t come up with the outcome we wanted.”

The cluster of road games started Nov. 12 when Nanaimo won 3-2 in a shootout in Alberni Valley.

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A power play imbalance of seven to two put the Clippers behind the eight ball but tremendous goaltending from Aidan Campbell and a big offensive night from captain Michael Craig ensured victory.

There were nine power plays against in Nanaimo’s next game, Saturday, Nov. 19 in Chilliwack and Nanaimo was outshot 45-27.

Once again Aidan Campbell was spectacular in net to preserve another 3-2 win, this time in regulation.

The game though wasn’t without loss, as Clippers defenceman Skyler Cameron received a two-game suspension after a major penalty for a blow to the head.

The loss of Cameron along with some mental and physical fatigue contributed to a 6-5 loss the following night to the Surrey Eagles.

Nanaimo lived up to their identity in the first 40 minutes of the Sunday, Nov. 20 game building up a 2-1 lead but then a five goal Eagles third period stuck the Clippers with their first road loss of the season.

Veteran Jake Hewitt said each of the three road games were unusual in their own way.

“I thought we played well and fought all the way to the end. We probably didn’t have as much push in Surrey as we would have had we not been killing all night the night before but it’s not about making excuses, we’ve just got to be better in certain areas.”

After the 20 game mark of the season Nanaimo has a 16-4 record with a two point lead at the top of the Coastal Division.

The Clippers have two more road games Friday, Nov. 25 in Powell River and Sunday, Nov. 27 in Cowichan Valley before they return home for the first weekend of December.

CLIP NOTES:

Kai Daniells was selected to the BCHL All Star Game in Penticton in January. Ethan Mistry, Aidan Campbell and Brody Waters are eligible to be selected via fan voting which closes Friday.

The Clippers will host an alumni night with players invited from every era of Nanaimo’s junior hockey history on Dec. 3 when they take on the Merritt Centennials.

With Nanaimo playing a string of five straight road games it’s their longest number of consecutive away games all season. The Clippers play four times in a row on the road in both February and March.

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