The Victoria Grizzlies鈥� big guns were locked and loaded for Game 1 of the sa国际传媒 Hockey League playoffs Friday night at The Q Centre, and they unleashed a barrage of shots at the Alberni Valley Bulldogs鈥� net en route to an 8-3 victory and a 1-0 series lead.
Led by their two talented 18-year-olds 鈥� Alex Newhook and Alex Campbell 鈥� who both will be selected in the NHL draft in Vancouver in just over three months, the Grizzlies got to Bulldogs veteran netminder John Hawthorne early and often, outshooting the 鈥橠ogs 53-27.
The Grizzlies led the BCHL in goals in the regular season. Oddly enough, it was a rare goal from blue-liner Nico Somerville that opened the scoring just 1:12 in the first period. The veteran Somerville pinched in, took a nice feed from Marty Westhaver and fired it high past Hawthorne.
And then the Grizzlies鈥� two Alexes went to work. Newhook, the BCHL鈥檚 leading scorer in the regular season with 102 points and projected for the first round of the NHL draft, racked up four assists. Campbell, projected for the second or third round of the NHL draft, added two goals and two assists.
Grizzlies blue-liner Carter Berger scored twice and added an assist. Cam Thompson, Kenny Johnson and Westhaver, on a shorthanded breakaway, rounded out the scoring for the Grizzlies, who chased Hawthorne after 40 minutes with Cole Demers playing the third period.
Mitch Deelstra, in the first, and Josh Zary and Keaton Mastrodonato on third-period power plays, had the Alberni goals.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series goes tonight at The Q Centre, before the series moves to Port Alberni for the Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday.
