It has been a while since the Victoria Grizzlies and Coquitlam Express faced each other in B.C. Hockey League play this season — about five months — but they’re about to get to know one another really well in the next week and it all began Friday night with the Grizzlies scoring four third-period goals to pull out a scrappy 6-2 victory at The Q Centre.
The Grizzlies and Express will play three of their last four regular season games against each other and if Friday’s contest was any indication, next weekend’s two games at the Poirier Sports Centre in Coquitlam should be ones to watch, especially for Grizzlies fans as Victoria is in a tight battle with the Nanaimo Clippers for fourth place in the Coastal Conference and home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
On Friday, the Grizzlies jumped out to an early 2-0 lead courtesy of first-period goals from Chase Pirtle and Julian Cull a minute apart. But a goal in the final minute of the period by Coquitlam’s Kasper Walther-Sneve took the game up a notch. And a late second-period power-play goal by Cole Melady sent the teams to the second intermission tied 2-2.
Then the Grizzlies’ offence came to life, with Reegan Hiscock, Tobias Pitka and Ryan Watt all scoring before the final period was four minutes old, then Luc Pelletier put it on ice with a breakaway goal with 7:30 left in regulation.
Oliver Auyeung-Ashton picked up the win in goal for the Grizzlies, making 27 saves.
The win moved the Grizzlies (27-22-1-1) even on points with the Clippers (26-21-3-1), who lost 10-6 to the Surrey Eagles on Friday, as the battle for fourth and fifth in the conference goes down to the wire. Both teams have three games remaining.
The Grizzlies now get ready to host another Mainland team with the Chilliwack Chiefs visiting The Q Centre tonight.
