Already one-third of the way through the sa国际传媒 Hockey League season, the Victoria Grizzlies collected win No. 5 on Friday night, defeating the Cowichan Valley Capitals for the first time in four tries in 2015-16.
Defenceman Jake Stevens鈥� goal stood up as the game-winner as the Grizzlies downed the Capitals 3-2 after suffering three one-goal losses to their Island Division rival.
It was Victoria鈥檚 third outing in three nights and sixth game in eight days as the Grizzlies finally posted two straight wins for the first time this campaign, taking exactly 50 days to do so.
It comes as the young team begins building confidence. If not for Wednesday鈥檚 late folding act 鈥� in which they gave up two goals in the last 35 seconds in Nanaimo 鈥� it could be three straight wins.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e consistently playing well and we鈥檙e always in the game,鈥� said Grizzlies general manager and head coach Craig Didmon, whose team has lost six one-goal games. 鈥淚 just watch our matchups and we鈥檙e getting better. Our young guys are starting to put the puck in the net and we have three lines going.鈥�
The Grizzlies scored first for the fifth straight game, a statistic they have managed to turn around after disastrous starts early this season.
It was a scoreless first period as the Capitals out-shot Victoria 9-7 in the frame, but Nick Guiney connected on his second swat of a rebound at 6:29 of the second. Dante Hahn then added his second in two nights (on a great feed from Cody Van Lierop) as Hahn continues to shine since joining the Grizzlies a week previous.
Ryan Burton got the Caps on the board with a short-handed marker at 16:39 of the second, but Stevens came right back on the same power play to make it 3-1 Victoria on a blast from the point at 18:16.
They needed the insurance as Adam Osczevski added a short-handed goal for Cowichan with just 3:11 left.
Matthew Galajda earned his fourth win in goal for Victoria, now 5-12-0-2.
Combined with Alberni Valley鈥檚 3-0 loss in Nanaimo on Friday, the Grizzlies are now tied with the Bulldogs for the fourth- and-final playoff spot in the division. Nanaimo took over the division lead on Cowichan (9-5-1-2) with the two Friday results.
IN THE DEN: Chuck Bennis was suspended for the game from the night before on an abuse of an official call and Colby Livingstone was out due to injury. Spencer Loverock dressed as an affiliate from the Peninsula Panthers.
