Telegraph file photo by TOM KING Nashua South-Pelham's Riley Nutter, shown holding his own along the boards against Bedford earlier this season, has been a key force in the Kings' run to a possible Division I tourney berth.

NASHUA – Riley Nutter pounced on the loose puck in the neutral zone, and he was off to the races.

He swooped in, shifted one way, then another with a surprise backhand that eluded Nashua North-Souhegan goalie Jack Casey and brought a roar from the Conway Arena crowd Monday night.

“I’ve been trying that move all year,” the Nashua South-Pelham forward senior captain said, “and it finally worked.”

It’s been a year of transition for Riley Nutter, who hails from Pelham but has been playing his hockey at Conway Arena as part of the South-Pelham Kings co-op the last three years. He used to strictly be a facilitator, trying to find an open teammate, until the Kings coaching staff told him to be more selfish and look for his shot. But the coaches said it was up to Nutter to follow through on the idea.

“We didn’t do anything, he did it,” Kings coach Shawn Connors said. “He’s the easiest kid to coach. He listens to exactly what you tell him to do, and he does it. If I had 20 of him, we’d be killing it.”

“It wasn’t always like that,” Nutter said. “I’ve always been a playmaker. Recently I’ve been scoring, I got used to my playing style. But seeing the open ice, just navigating the ice, really seeing the open space, turn on the jets and burn it.”

The theory for Connors and his staff was simple: Nutter has size (6-1, 165), speed, and it was time to put that to better use.

“We basically just started telling him to make one move, drive it to the net, and try to punch it in,” Connors said. “And you can see, that’s what he’s been doing.”

He scored two goals that way in the 3-1 win over the Saber-

Titans. But Nutter has been a solid presence even before then, as he scored two in a previous win over Manchester Memorial. His improved play offensively has been a big reason the Kings went into Wednesday’s regular season finale at Exeter with a 5-2-1 mark in their previous eight games.

“He goes on the ice, not only listens to us, but leads the team as a captain,” Connors said. “He’s just an all-around great player. He’s going to be truly missed next year.”

The Kings are hoping to have a couple more games at least before they have to face that reality. They are hoping to survive the frantic race for one of the final Division I tourney spots. Nutter has confidence they will when the pairings are determined early next week .

“Other teams are going to have to watch out for us, we’re going to make a playoff run,” Nutter said.

Nutter has been playing hockey in the area – some of it with the Southern New Hampshire Cavaliers – since he was 5.

But Nutter got very scientific and studious about the game the second half of this season. “It was just realizing how the defensemen move when you’re going to them,” he said. “Taking your turns, trying to play the angle, it’s all a factor.”

The one thing that could complete Nutter’s game is using his size to fend off defenders, something he still does not do.

“No he doesn’t,” Connors said. “Right now he’s just skating around them. Normally when you’re a hockey player you’ve got to get around them and use your body to force your way in. He’s just going around the outside and cut in.”

Nutter’s future? Up in the air. Connors feels he could play college hockey at the Division II or III level. Nutter hasn’t really mapped out his plans yet.

He still wants to savor the final week or two of playing with this Kings team, and he’s enjoyed the Nashua experience.

“Pelham’s always been a co-op because we’re smaller,” Nutter said. “It’s just a special group of boys. … I wouldn’t want to be a captain on any other team. I have a special bond with all of them, every single one.

“We all hang out, Pelham or Nashua. … We all get along great. We go out to eat together, we’re a family.”

And the coaches want Nutter to drive the family vehicle.

“They tell me to keep pushing,” he said. “We all want to make it to the final game this year, that’s the goal. It wasn’t possible in past years but it’s looking very possible this year.”

If that happens, you can bet Riley Nutter and his new found scoring skills will have a lot to do with it.