Navigators 4 Canucks 0

DAWSON CREEK, BC -- The big players stepped up in the biggest game of the season for the Peace River Navigators as they defeated the Canucks 4-0 Monday night.

Early in the first period Canucks' goaltender Cody Garnett went down after taking a Joel Balfour shot under the mask on the neck. He left the game and did not return. More on that in a bit.

Tyson York came into the game to replace Garnett and was fantastic early on making key saves on 2 partial breakaways. The game was scoreless through 20 minutes.

The Navigators got on the board first when Mitch Kohut put the puck past York at the 6:50 mark. Then at the 12:59 mark after Lorne Weaver turned the puck over in the Dawson Creek zone Gerry Young found Selleck Bunn which was the game's Safeway Turning point making the score 2-0 Peace River after two periods.

All hope of a comeback was lost early in the third when Gerry Young, using Canucks' defenceman Tyson Keen as a screen, blasted a slap shot that beat York to make the game 3-0. Young would add another to make the final score 4-0.

Brass Scissors three stars: 1) Young 2) Bunn 3) Bomben. Hardest working Canuck: Weatherill.

Dawson Creek went 0 for 2 on the power play and the penalty kill was a perfect 4 for 4.

The loss means that the Canucks end up finishing in 4th place in the NWJHL and will meet the Grande Prairie Wheelers in the opening round of the playoffs while the Navigators, who finish in 3rd, play the Beaverlodge Blades in the opening round. Both playoff series will begin on Wednesday. Puck drop in Dawson Creek Wednesday is 8:00pm.