Lack of discipline, some questionable officiating and a potent Wenatchee Wild power play was enough to put a blemish on the Victoria Grizzlies’s unbeaten streak on Friday night.
The surging Wild scored three power-play goals on nine man-advantage chances to dump the visiting Grizzlies 6-5 in overtime at the Town Toyota Center, ending Victoria’s unbeaten streak at 11 games.
Wild captain A.J. Vanderbeck tallied four times, including the winner on a breakaway late in overtime, as the Wild improved to 28-12-3-1. Victoria’s record fell to 24-14-4-2, but they remain atop the Island Division, two points ahead of the Powell River Kings.
The Grizzlies, starting a three-games-in-three-days road trip, started the game on the right foot with Ryan Nolan and Matt Doran scoring two minutes apart to put the visitors up 2-0 before the game was seven minutes old.
But the B.C. Hockey League’s leading scorer, Jesper Weatherby, scored his 31st of the season to get the Wild to within one at the intermission.
The Grizzlies also went into the second intermission with the lead, 3-2 thanks to a Doran power-play marker, but Vanderbeck’s power-play goal three minutes into third brought the Wild even.
After a Cam Thompson short-handed goal midway through the third period, Vanderbeck went to work again, scoring twice on Grizzlies netminder Zack Rose and the Wild and the 3,189 fans in attendance thought they were home and cooled. But with Rose pulled for the extra attacker, Grizzlies defenceman Nico Somerville fired a point shot past Wild goalie Austin Park with 1:30 left to send the game to the extra frame.
Rose made 47 saves in the Grizzlies’ net, while Park turned aside 18 Victoria shots.
Grizzlies rookie Alex Newhook came into the game second in league scoring with 53 points, five back of Weatherby. He now trails by three after Newhook chipped in three assists, while Weatherby was held to the one goal.
The Grizzlies continue their road trip tonight in Langley against the Rivermen, and then head to Chilliwack on Sunday for a 2 p.m. against the Chiefs.
LOOSE PUCKS: Injured defenceman Drayson Pears is with the Grizzlies on this road trip and is close to playing after being out for two months with an upper body injury. . . . The Grizzlies’ next home game is next Friday when the Nanaimo Clippers pay a visit to The Q Centre.
