Mario Annicchiarico/ Times Colonist
DECEMBER 13, 2017 10:32 PM
It’s not exactly how general manager and head coach Craig Didmon drew it up, but the Victoria Grizzlies managed their third straight win and improved to 5-0-0-1 over Island Division rival Alberni Valley Bulldogs after a 3-2 road victory at Weyerhaeuser Arena on Wednesday night.
This one was far different from a pair of lopsided weekend wins in which the team racked up 16 goals in six periods of work.
Didmon’s crew had to battle back from a 2-0 deficit on the road. The team got the message across during a media timeout in the second period.
“They came at us with everything. We had to make some adjustments to get more time in the offensive zone,” said Didmon. “We kind of looked in the mirror there during the timeout.
“It was like, ‘Hey, let’s get going here because there are a lot of great hockey players here, who haven’t done a thing.’ Then it slowly came. It wasn’t a 60-minute effort, but hey, it’s what you get on the road and we’ll take it.”
It did not start well for the Grizzlies, who were outshot 6-0 early and managed just one shot in the first 11 minutes of play. They trailed 1-0 after 20 minutes as Isaac Tonkin-Palmer finally got to goaltender Kurtis Chapman 16:13 in.
The new Grizzlies’ netminder faced 20 shots in the first and Victoria managed just five.
Tyler Vanuden made it 2-0 with shots 34-15 for Alberni Valley at the 15:46 mark of the second before Alex Newhook, the hottest player in the BCHL, replied at 17:15 for Victoria.
Newhook, coming off 10 points in three games, then assisted on Ethan Nother’s tying goal at 19:14 of the second. Victoria, somehow, found itself tied at 2-2 despite being outshot 35-17 after 40 minutes.
Then defenceman Carter Berger was credited with the game-winner at 6:21 of the third (although it’s expected to be changed to Newhook, who deflected the puck). Jamie Rome, who together with Nother and Newhook have formed a lethal forward unit, assisted on the play.
Victoria improves to 17-14-3-1 with Chapman stopping 42 shots, while the Bulldogs slide to 9-19-2-4.
The Grizzlies will wrap up the 2017 portion of their schedule at home on the weekend as the Cowichan Valley Capitals venture to The Q Centre on Friday and the Prince George Spruce Kings are in Colwood the next night.
Get Your Tickets Today:
