Victoria Grizzlies head coach Craig Didmon said his team would need secondary scoring if they were to win Game 3 in Port Alberni against the Bulldogs in their first-round playoff series.
Ask and you shall receive.
With the Grizzlies鈥� top line of Alex Newhook, Riley Hughes and Alex Campbell (until he was injured in the first period and replaced by Kyle McGrath) held to just a Newhook goal, the Grizzlies鈥� depth came to the forefront, with veteran Cam Thompson beating John Hawthorne 9:15 into overtime to give the Grizzlies a 6-5 win and a 3-0 series lead in the Island Division semifinal.
Marty Westhaver, scoring twice and setting up Thompson鈥檚 winner, Ryan Nolan getting his first of the playoffs, and defenceman Nico Somerville paced the Grizzlies to a 5-3 lead after 40 minutes at Weyerhaeuser Arena.
And the Grizzlies were seconds away from winning it in regulation when the Bulldogs鈥� Mitch Deelstra scored with 56 seconds left in the third period and netminder Hawthorne pulled for the extra attacker to tie the Grizzlies at 5-5.
It was Deelstra鈥檚 second goal of the game as he tallied midway through the third to get the 鈥橠ogs rolling.
The Grizzlies also got their power play going, as Victoria was 3-for-5 with the man advantage on Tuesday and is now 4-10 in the series.
Chapman made 36 saves for this third win of the post-season, while Hawthorne turned aside 33 Grizzlies鈥� shots.
Game 4 goes Wednesday night in Alberni.
Game 5, if it鈥檚 needed, is set for Friday night at The Q Centre.
