It鈥檚 advantage Grizzlies.
With a last-gasp home-ice serve tonight to the Bulldogs.
The Victoria Grizzlies took a 2-1 lead in the sa国际传媒 Hockey League best-of-five Island Division final with an inspired 4-1 victory Monday evening over Alberni Valley before 1,119 fans at Bear Mountain Arena.
The fourth game is tonight at Weyerhaeuser Arena in Port Alberni. A fifth game, if necessary, would take place back at Bear Mountain Arena on Wednesday evening.
The series winner will advance to meet the Surrey Eagles 鈥� 3-0 winners over the Chilliwack Chiefs in the Lower Mainland final 鈥� in the Coastal Conference championship series.
鈥淎t this point of the season, it鈥檚 the will to win that matters,鈥� said Grizzlies GM and head coach Bill Bestwick. 鈥淭onight, I thought we played our best game of the playoffs.鈥�
The shots were a telling stat as Bulldogs goalkeeper Jay Deo earned his keep with 34 saves. Brady Rouleau of Victoria made 14 saves for the victory.
The Victoria defence was stellar.
鈥淚t was a good collective effort,鈥� said Grizzlies blueliner Nolan De Jong, headed next season to Ann Arbor to become a Michigan Wolverine in the NCAA.
鈥淎ll six defencemen played a ton of minutes. Blocking shots and taking away lanes is all part of it in the playoffs,鈥� added De Jong, named player of the game.
The Grizzlies held a 12-0 shots advantage before Alberni Valley got its first shot of the game with 4:45 left in the first period, although that turned out to be a breakaway by 20-year-old Manny Gialedakis that was stopped by Rouleau.
The Victoria first-period pressure paid off with a 15-5 shots advantage and a 2-0 lead on a power-play tally by Myles Fitzgerald at 13:31, his fourth goal of the post-season, and a snap-shot by Pearce Eviston at on a fine assist from behind the net by Myles Powell at 18:03.
Fitzgerald later left the game with an injury that could be of concern to Victoria, as could a late-game shot taken off the foot by fellow-forward Mark McLellan.
鈥淥ur depth is a concern and has been since Jan. 12,鈥� admitted Bestwick.
鈥淲e鈥檝e manufactured goals here and there. It鈥檚 all hands on deck.鈥�
In the second period, tenacious Alberni forward Teal Burns caused a Victoria turnover which allowed Matthew Hansen to score short-handed and pull the Bulldogs to within one at 10:40. But Victoria prevented that from being a momentum shifter by scoring on the same power play. A powerful point shot from Grizzlies defenceman Kade Pilton caused a rebound which allowed David Mazurek to make it 3-1 at 11:45 of the second.
鈥淲e need to come out with more energy [tonight in Port Alberni] and not get walked all over like we did tonight,鈥� said Burns, a 20-year-old with loads of WHL and BCHL junior experience with several teams. 鈥淲e want to keep playing.鈥�
Powell stuck the dagger at 7:23 of the third period with his first goal of the playoffs to close out scoring.
鈥淲e鈥檙e missing guys and that has been hard on us, so everyone has to step up,鈥� said Powell.
Monday it was him, as he flitted around the ice like a water-bug and ended up with a goal and key assist.
