It wasn鈥檛 exactly a goaltending clinic, nor was it a display of how to run a power play as the Victoria Grizzlies collapsed in a 7-3 thumping at the hands of the visiting Powell River Kings on Tuesday night at The Q Centre.
The Kings used a pair of second-period short-handed markers as the two teams met up for the fourth time in the last 17 days, including a 6-3 Grizzlies鈥� win and a 5-2 loss in a split in Powell River. The last time they met in Victoria was a wild 7-6 Grizzlies鈥� victory on Remembrance Day in a penalty-filled game that included a pair of game misconducts.
This one wasn鈥檛 as physical, but there were plenty of gaffes to go around, all from the home side.
鈥淚f we made a mistake, it was in the back of the net tonight,鈥� said Grizzlies general manager and head coach Craig Didmon. 鈥淭hose guys need to be better. We had lots of chances. I don鈥檛 think our defensive posture was very good tonight. I think we were too busy trying to get up ice and score goals.鈥�
He鈥檚 correct about that in it was a sloppy defensive affair for the locals.
Starting Grizzlies netminder Zack Rose 鈥� who is heading off to a tryout this weekend with sa国际传媒 West for the World Junior A Hockey Challenge, along with teammates Alex Newhook and Jamie Rome 鈥� was pulled half way through when Hunter Findlater made it 4-2 Kings at 9:30 of the second period.
Backup Shawn Parkinson was then beaten on a short-handed break by Ethan Kimball just 2:14 later.
Powell River sniper Carter Turnbull had also scored while skating a man short earlier in the period, just before Victoria defenceman Carter Berger cut the Powell River lead to 3-2 on the same power play.
鈥淗aving a couple of shorties against is not something we鈥檙e used to and, for sure, both goalies need to be better,鈥� said Didmon. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 see quit in the team. I thought a couple of young goalies had a tough night.鈥�
鈥淲e were just trying to get going. Things weren鈥檛 going our way. I think it was just one of those nights,鈥� Newhook said of the power play allowing two against. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something we need to look out for, but it was a couple of unlucky bounces.鈥�
Kevin Obssuth, with a pair, and Trent Bell scored for the Kings, while Cam Thompson and Jordan Guiney replied for the Grizzlies.
Rugged Grizzlies forward Nolan Ryan, who was handed a four-game suspension in the Remembrance Day game, just returned from that banishment on Tuesday and had an assist. Kings goalie Mitch Adamyk was also penalized in that game with a slashing major and game misconduct on Victoria captain Lucas Clark.
Adamyk was between the pipes for Tuesday鈥檚 win, making 39 saves. Rose stopped 15 of 19 while Parkinson blocked 14 of 17 shots.
Powell River improves to 16-6-2-2 for 36 points, three up on Nanaimo (14-9-3-2), but has two games in hand on both the Clippers and Victoria, which slips to 14-10-3-1 for 32 points.
Victoria now heads to Prince George, Vernon and Coquitlam this weekend without Rome, Newhook and Rose for the last two games.
After the weekend trip, the Grizzlies visit Cowichan Valley next Wednesday, before returning home Dec. 9 to host the Clippers at The Q Centre.
Twitter.com/tc_vicsports
