Victoria鈥檚 power play once again let the team down, going 0-for-4 on the afternoon and allowing a game-winning, short-handed goal to Spencer McLean as the Smoke Eaters scored twice in the second period.
The Grizzlies led 1-0 in the first period on Dante Hahn鈥檚 sixth of the season and fifth since rejoining Victoria 12 games ago. Hahn now has 12 points in those 12 outings after being acquired from Coquitlam.
Kale Howarth tied it at 1-1 on a power-play effort as Trail went 1-for-2 on its man-advantage situations.
Victoria easily outshot Trail 30-15, to no avail, as the Grizzlies fell to 9-13-0-3. The Smoke Eaters improved to 9-13-0-0 thanks to goaltender Linden Marshall鈥檚 29-save performance.
Mitchel Benson made 13 stops for the Grizzlies, who remain one point ahead of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs in fourth place in the Island division standings of the sa国际传媒 Hockey League. Victoria took over the final playoff spot after earning a 3-2 win Saturday night in Merritt.
The Bulldogs 鈥� who lost 6-4 to Langley on Sunday 鈥� have three games in hand on the Grizzlies, who now venture to Nanaimo on Wednesday before home games against Trail on Thursday and Cowichan Valley on Friday, both at 7 p.m. at The Q Centre.
Victoria began the recent road trip with a 4-3 overtime loss in Coquitlam on Friday and by the end of this week鈥檚 stretch of three straight games, the Grizzlies will have played six times in eight days.
Alberni Valley begins a tough stretch of its own through Salmon Arm, West Kelowna and Vernon on Friday through Sunday.
