Victoria went up in smoke, however, peppered in the third period and surrendering six straight goals overall in a 7-5 loss at The Q Centre on Thursday night to the Penticton Vees, who won for the 42nd time in 49 outings.
Ay caramba, indeed.
The No. 1 team in the B.C. Hockey League, if not the country, showed just why they are now 42-6-0-1, bringing unrelenting heat with a late second-period goal to cut it to 5-2 and then pounding in five more in the third period.
The Grizzlies gave the Vees life and they promptly sucked it right out of the hosts, who had chased starting Penticton goalie Anthony Brodeur, who did not look good.
Demico Hannoun gave the Vees their life on the late second-period power play at 19:02 with backup goalie Zach Driscoll pulled for an extra attacker. Luke Voltin then scored a short-handed goal as he came out of the penalty box just 1:28 into the third on what was a 5-on-3 Victoria advantage.
That opened the floodgates.
“They got that late goal,” said Grizzlies head coach and general manager Craig Didmon. “It was a good call by them. That’s a good team that will pull a goalie in the second period like that. But, hey, there’s a reason why they’ve only lost six games this year.
“We were hoping we could count down that third period by just keeping things simple. Not scoring on that 5-on-3 and them getting that lucky clear the second he came out [of the penalty box] — that was bad luck. Of course, they have guys who can put the puck in the net.”
And how.
Bowen Dixon scored twice for the Vees, while Mitchell Brooks, Owen Sillinger and Scott Conway (his 50th of the season into an empty net) also tallied for Penticton, which led 1-0 just 2:47 in.
Brayden Gelsinger had two for Victoria, while Braeden Cross, Cole Pickup and Alex Peck had one each.
Gelsinger benefitted from a horrible pass from highly-rated Vees defenceman Dante Fabbro at 15:56 of the second to make it 2-1. Pickup and Peck piled it on as they chased Brodeur from the net at 17:50 of the frame for three goals in 1:56.
The Vees, actually rated No. 2 in the CJHL, have Fabbro and Tyson Jost ranked as first-rounders in this summer’s NHL draft, but the team looked awfully sloppy for two-thirds of this night.
“We have faith in our team. We’re pretty confident in our dressing room, but that doesn’t go too far. We have to back it up with our work ethic and play and that's something we try and prove every game. We’re confident in our abilities, but that doesn’t go anywhere without the hard work,” said Jost.
Those words rang true, especially as Victoria starter Matthew Galajda was pulled after the sixth goal.
Victoria — which has now lost three straight — is in Port Alberni tonight in a key divisional matchup.
IN THE DEN: Grizzlies Tyler Welsh, Brett Stirling and Mitchell Barker, all sat out due to injury, and Mark Krabben was suspended for one game.
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