VICTORIA 8 POWELL RIVER 7 (OT)
It was another “Salsa Saturday” at The Q Centre, and it was a good thing because the Victoria Grizzlies stayed red hot, but just barely.
After blowing leads twice, changing goalies, and taking a penalty in overtime, the Grizzlies, sporting their vintage Salsa red third jerseys, got a Reegan Hiscock goal with five minutes left in the 10-minute extra frame to defeat the Powell River Kings 8-7 and extend their win streak to five games.
The Grizzlies (20-9-4-0) victory moved them to within three points of Coastal Conference-leading Chilliwack after the Chiefs lost to the Surrey Eagles on Saturday night.
The Grizzlies’ big guns of Chase Pirtle, Hiscock and Tom Molson were held in check most of the night, but Julian Cull, Landon Mackie and Ryan Watt got the Grizzlies out to a 3-1 lead and Sam Ward’s first in the BCHL allowed the home to take a 4-2 lead into the first intermission.
The Kings (7-22-3-1) came into the game last in the conference but exploded for four second-period goals and if it wasn’t for Grizzlies defenceman Oscar Pantzare’s goal with 1:30 left in the middle frame, the result may have been different for the underdog Kings.
The Grizzlies came out for the third fired up and got goals from Pirtle and Tobias Pitka to retake the lead. But a couple of questionable penalty calls late in the third put the Kings on a two-man advantage and they drew even with 3:30 left in the game when Noah Samanski beat Oliver Auyeung-Ashton for his second of the game.
Auyeung-Ashton who came in for starter Kyle Kelsey after the Kings’ fourth goal, stopped all four shots he faced in overtime, clearing the way for Hiscock to beat Cooper Flemming on a deflection to send the Grizzlies to the sa国际传媒 Hockey League all-star break riding high.
The Grizzlies, most of them anyway, now get two weeks off thanks to next weekend’s all-star festivities in Salmon Arm. Victoria’s next game is Jan. 25 when the Langley Rivermen pay a visit to The Q Centre.
LOOSE PUCKS: Watt and Cull both finished with four-point nights… . The Grizzlies were again without a trio of injured players — Easton Kovacs, Daniel D’Alassandro and Alex Hebblethwaite — on Saturday.
