The Victoria Cougars blew some daylight between themselves and the Campbell River Storm in what had been a tight Vancouver Island Hockey League playoff championship series.
The previous four games in the series were each decided by one goal before the Cougars opened things up in a 5-1 victory Sunday afternoon in Game 5 at Archie Browning Sports Centre to take A 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The sixth game is tonight at Rod Brind鈥橝mour Arena in Campbell River. A seventh and deciding game, if needed, will be played Thursday evening at Archie Browning Sports Centre.
The Cougars received stellar, 40-save netminding Sunday from Peoria, Arizona, native and game first-star Anthony Ciurro. Forwards Nathan Looysen and John Kretzschmar each scored two goals with an assist for Victoria, while Austin Wilk also had a three-point night with a trio of assists. Looysen extended his league playoff scoring lead to 26 points and goals lead to 12 in 13 games. Ryan Carson added a goal and assist while Dom Kolbeins scored the other Cougars goal.
Two of the Cougars鈥� goals were on the power play, which may have been the key to victory, as Storm GM and head coach Lee Stone pointed to Victoria鈥檚 high-end offensive skill sets.
鈥淲e have to stay disciplined and out of the box. That鈥檚 important against a team with the kind of talent the Cougars possess,鈥� said Stone.
鈥淭hey are stronger on the power play than we are. Five-on-five, we鈥檙e two very good, evenly-matched clubs.鈥�
Gage Colpron denied Ciurro the shutout with a power-play tally for Campbell River鈥檚 lone goal at 11:53 of the third period.
The result of the series is largely moot. With the Cougars hosting the Cyclone Taylor Cup sa国际传媒 Junior B championship tournament April 7-10 at Archie Browning, and having an automatic bye, both the Cougars and Storm have qualified to play in the provincial tournament.
Not that you would know it from this series.
鈥淭hese five games have been the most intense we have played this season. And I鈥檓 sure the Cougars would say the same,鈥� said Stone, whose club is the defending league, Cyclone Taylor provincial and Keystone Cup Western Canadian champion.
鈥淲e took the league title from them last season and want to repeat. And I鈥檓 sure they want the league championship back.鈥�
