After five straight games on the road and 19 days away from the The Q Centre, the Victoria Grizzlies were itching to put on a show for their home crowd.
And they did just that, saving their best for the third period, scoring twice in the final 10 minutes to cool off the Nanaimo Clippers by a 4-2 score. The Clippers came into the game riding a five-game winning streak, but the Grizzlies were coming off two straight road wins and weren鈥檛 about to have the streak end at home.
Cam Thompson鈥檚 third goal in his last two games, midway through the third period, broke open a 2-2 tie, paving the way to victory for the Grizzlies, who sit atop the Island Division standings at 19-8-0-1.
Marty Westhaver put the game on ice, picking off an errant pass from Clippers netminder Jordan Naylor and burying it in the empty net for a shorthanded goal and Westhaver鈥檚 second goal in as many games.
Grizzlies captain Alex Newhook opened the scoring 42 seconds into the second period with a wrap-around goal on Naylor. It was the 17-year-old Newhook鈥檚 fourth goal in the past two games and his sa国际传媒 Hockey League-leading 44th point of the season.
Aiden Hansen-Bukata and Marcus Mitchell had the Nanaimo (12-14) goals in the second period.
With No. 1 netminder Kurtis Chapman still nursing an injury, newly acquired Kyle Dumba made his second straight start in goal for Victoria. The 20-year-old made 30 saves to improve to 3-0 since coming over from the Surrey Eagles. Naylor finished with 31聽saves.
LOOSE PUCKS: The Grizzlies have a short week this week, as they head to Duncan on Wednesday to face the Cowichan Valley Capitals at Island Savings Centre. Then it鈥檚 back home Friday to take on the Coquitlam Express at The Q Centre.
