LANGLEY聽 4
VICTORIA聽 3
The Victoria Grizzlies are really starting to dislike these three-games-in-three-days road trips.
After a 4-3 loss to the Langley Rivermen on Saturday night at George Preston Arena, the Grizzlies are 0-7-1 two-thirds of the way through their third lengthy road trip of the sa国际传媒 Hockey League season.
After seeing their 11-game unbeaten streak halted the night before in an overtime loss in Wenatchee, the Grizzlies allowed two Langley power-play goals in the third period on Saturday to allow the Rivermen to come away with the victory.
The Grizzlies and their No. 1-ranked power play in the BCHL had a chance to draw even late in the third period, but they came up empty on a 6-on-4 man-advantage.
The Victoria power play finished the night 1-for-7.
Angus Crookshank鈥檚 power-play marker midway through the final period stood up as the game winner for Langley, which improved to 20-13-10-2 on the season.
The Grizzlies, who fell to 24-15-4-2, opened the scoring six minutes into the opening period when Justin Michaelian buried a nice feed from Dayne Finnson for his team-leading 22nd goal of the season.
After Langley got the next two goals, Cam Thompson buried his second shorthanded goal in as many games as the teams went to the second intermission tied 2-2.
Langley struck again just 53 seconds into the third when Eric Butte beat Grizzlies netminder Kurtis Chapman from in close on the power play.
Thompson got that back just two minutes later, but that鈥檚 all the Grizzlies鈥� offence could muster against Rivermen goalie Braedon Fleming. Langley outshot Victoria 38-22.
The Grizzlies now head east to finish the road trip in Chilliwack today with a 2 p.m. game against the Chiefs.
LOOSE PUCKS: Grizzlies leading scorer Alex Newhook, who came into the game second in league scoring with 56 points, was held off the scoresheet. . . . Defenceman Drayson Pears was once again out with an upper body injury, but he is close to returning. . . . The Grizzlies鈥� next home game is on Friday when the Nanaimo Clippers visit The Q Centre.
