It鈥檚 a question the Comox Valley Glacier Kings might be asking themselves after a resounding 9-3 thumping at the hands of the Victoria Cougars at Archie Browning Sports Centre on Tuesday night.
The victory gives the Cougars a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League championship series.
Sam Rice had three goals and Wade Johnson, Jamie Severs, Dane Feeney, Kelyn Opel, David Marshall and Jordan Davie all added singles for the victors.
The rout was on early as the Glacier Kings fell behind 3-0 after 20 minutes and 8-1 after two periods of play. Neither starting netminder Michael Hails or backup Bryce Di Rocco had much luck as the visitors allowed three power-play goals. Evan Roch continues to hold his hot hand in goal for the Cougars, stopping 24 shots in the win.
鈥淲e worked for it. It was a hard effort for this team, probably our best game of the playoffs,鈥� said Cougars defenceman Brandon Egli. 鈥淚t was well deserved.
鈥淭hose first two periods were a championship effort and it鈥檚 going to take that to win the series.鈥�
Tyson Rennie had the first Comox goal, trading tallies with Feeney, just 24 seconds apart in the opening minute of the second. Michael Scobie added two power-play goals in the third period for Comox.
The Cougars opened the series up with a 6-3 win on the road on Saturday as the Victoria Curling Classic forced the Cats out of their own den. Game 3 goes Thursday back at Archie Browning. Rice had three goals in Game 1 as well.
Both the Cougars and Glacier Kings have already clinched a spot in the Cyclone Taylor Cup provincial championship, which is slated to begin April 11 at the Comox Valley Sports Centre.
