Duncan, BC ~ The Cowichan Valley Capitals outlasted the Victoria Grizzlies to take game one at the Cowichan Community Arena in Duncan.
The first period was one of mixed results for Victoria, who had a good start but found themselves down after the first Cowichan shot of the night. Massimo Fazio (1st) was left alone at the top of the Grizzly crease to easily finish a pass from Jack McAra at 4:26.
A very even and low-action period followed, which saw Victoria outshoot their hosts 10-9 through twenty minutes, with Cowichan having the lone power play.
The second period saw the game open up a bit with both teams enjoying more chances.
Once again, Cowichan struck on their first shot of a period when Tristan Gravenor (1) went top shelf off a feed from Gavin Nemis into the slot at 1:19. It all started after a Grizzly turnover trying to skate the puck out of their own zone, and the Caps capitalized.
Victoria would, however, respond with their first goal of the playoffs just over three minutes later. Carter Oakenfold (1st) got one to go on a Grizzly power play at 4:37 to pull Victoria within one. That score of 2-1, the Caps held up after forty.
The Capitals gained the upper hand in the third, going up 3-1 when Tyler Rowland (1st) wired a wrist shot home just past the halfway point. Brendyn Van Oene (1st) added an empty-netter for the Caps late, before Havryil Simchuk (1st) poached a late one against a Grizzlies team that had run out of steam.
The Grizzlies will feel as though the game was much closer than a 5-1 score line, but they will have to clean things up in their own end as the series goes on. They did a great job of defending the high-powered Caps, but were then their own worst enemy with D-zone turnovers leading to extended Capitals pressure.
Game two is tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. at the Cowichan Community Arena.
