It has been a season of swings recently for the Victoria Grizzlies in the sa国际传媒 Hockey League.
The Grizzlies (18-11-1) have followed a three-game losing skid with a three-game winning streak with the 7-1 victory over the Glenn Anderson-coached Powell River Kings (7-20-3) on Friday night at The Q Centre.
A scoreless first period was followed by three Victoria goals in the second period by Elliot Dutil with his fourth of the season, Chase Pirtle with his 18th and Malcolm Green with his second. Anthony Lucarelli’s 13th goal of the campaign for the Kings broke the Grizzlies outburst but not for long as Victoria winger Anthony Carone made it 4-1 on the power play. Third-period goals by Luc Pelletier, Tobias Pitka with his first of the season, and Pirtle’s second of the night put it away for the Grizzlies.
Rookie Owen Bresson made 20 saves in goal for the Grizzlies win, while Owen Crudale and Tresor Wotton combined to make 30 saves in the Powell River crease.
The shorthanded Grizzlies welcomed back NCAA Boston College-committed forward Pitka, after representing Slovakia at the World Junior A Challenge tournament, but were still were missing injured forward Jacksenn Hungle and Slovak defenceman Richard Baran, making his way back from the world junior championship tournament in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The Grizzlies host the Chilliwack Chiefs (16-12-1) tonight at The Q Centre before a key home-and-home set next weekend against the Nanaimo Clippers (18-10-2). The Chiefs lost 5-3 to the Cowichan Valley Capitals on Friday night in Duncan, while the Clippers edged the Salmon Arm Silverbacks 2-1.
ICE CHIPS: Cam Keith of the Surrey Eagles and Fred Harbinson of the Penticton Vees have been named to coach the respective Coastal and Interior conference teams in the 2024 BCHL Top Prospects Game on Jan. 19 in Penticton. The Eagles lead the Coastal Conference and the Vees the Interior Confernece.
