ALBERNI VALLEY 6
VICTORIA 3
Up until Saturday night, the Victoria Grizzlies had certainly put the kibosh on the theory that January was officially blah month.
The perfect start to 2016 came apart at the seams in a 6-3 loss to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs, who snapped the home team’s seven-game B.C. Hockey League win streak at The Q Centre.
The Grizzlies, who entered the weekend with the No. 1 penalty-killing unit in the league, allowed three power-play goals to the Bulldogs, who looked like the much hungrier team from the opening faceoff.
It was a do-or-die game for Alberni, which came in eight points back of the Grizzlies for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Island Division. Instead, the Bulldogs skate away with two much-needed points and improve to 17-24-3-3.
Victoria slips back down to .500 at 21-21-4-0 and blew a good chance to try to get through January without a loss.
They will face the Nanaimo Clippers today at 2 p.m. at The Q Centre after defeating them 6-3 on Friday night up Island.
“I think [Friday] was an emotional win for us and we just didn’t have our wherewithal tonight. The same preparation and focus wasn’t there,” said Grizzlies general manager and head coach Craig Didmon, who was ejected at 12:27 of the third period. “We just saw some lost battles. You saw a team that was fighting for its playoff season,” he added of the Bulldogs.
“We’ve had a lot go right and all of a sudden it wasn’t the same team with the same energy.”
Chris Schutz had a pair of goals for the Bulldogs, who built up period leads of 2-1 and 5-2. Ryan Finnegan had a goal and an assist while Adam Donnelly, Chris Sarault and Quinn Syrydiuk also scored for the visitors, who did not play on Friday and looked fresher.
Tristan Bukovec had a pair of helpers and goalie Carson Schamerhorn faced just 26 shots, 14 in the last period.
The Grizzlies were outshot 11-1 11:08 into the first stanza and Victoria didn’t record its second shot until 13:16 on a power play.
Captain P.J. Conlon scored twice for the Grizzlies while Nick Guiney had the other. Cody Van Lierop had two assists.
Matthew Galajda got back in the net for Victoria after Mitchel Benson made three straight starts. Galajda gave up six goals on 35 shots.
IN THE DEN: Defencemen Kevin Massy (suspended for two games for a boarding major on Friday) and Drayson Pears (injury) sat out for the Grizzlies as well Braeden Cross. Tyler Welsh and Brett Stirling both left the game due to injury and Alex Peck was tossed after a fight with Alberni’s Owen Johnson.
mannicchiarico@timescolonist.com
Twitter/tc_vicsports
