Powell River, BC ~ The Victoria Grizzlies used a two goal performance from both Tom Molson and Malcolm Green to propel themselves to a 7-4 victory over the Powell River Kings on Friday night from the Hap Parker Arena in Powell River.
Victoria began the game on the front foot, outshooting Powell River 8-0 through the first eight and a half minutes. They would also open the scoring at 11:14 when Easton Kovacs (3rd) wristed a puck home off a feed from Reegan Hiscock in the slot.
Powell River tied it late moving the other way on a three on two with the puck on Brendan Giles stick. He found Eli Friedman who put it top shelf for his third of the season. That meant that the two sides were all knotted up after 20.
Victoria would come out and have one of their best periods of the season in the second frame with the puck in the Kings zone for what felt like the entirety of the 20 minutes.
Tom Molson (10th) would break the deadlock after finding the puck on his stick in the slot before Max Silver’s first as a Grizzly and second of the year made it 3-1. Silver put a wrist shot top shelf short side for an impressive tally. The deadline acquisition has three points in five games for Victoria.
Malcolm Green’s seventh of the season just before the 15 minute mark would add insult to injury. That goal put Victoria up by three after 40 and was also yet another goal by Victoria’s surging second power-play unit.
A wild third period would follow, which saw Green add his second of the game just a minute into the final frame. Tom Molson would follow suit on the power play at 8:11 for his 11th after a nice passing play from Reegan Hiscock and Chase Pirtle.
Powell River refused to go away however and scored nine seconds after the Molson goal and then again 4 minutes later at 12:23 to pull within three.
Stone Rolston put any comeback thoughts to bed after a nice back hand finish on the power play from Hiscock and Molson at 16:38. That was his ninth of the year.
The Kings found a consolation goal with nine seconds remaining off the stick of Eliot Compton.
Victoria improved to 25-11-7 with the 7-4 victory on Friday night and now hold sole possession of 2nd place in the conference with a Surrey 3-2 overtime loss on Friday to Prince George.
The Grizzlies outshot the Kings 28 to 15 on this occasion and Malcolm Green was awarded first star, Reegan Hiscock the second and Tom Molson the third.
Victoria will travel home tomorrow morning to meet with the Kings again and close out their seven game season series. Tickets are available HERE.
