The Victoria Grizzlies have displayed great resiliency this year in bounce-back games, having lost two straight just three times all season in the B.C. Hockey League.
Saturday night was no different in earning a 6-3 victory over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks at the Shaw Centre in the Interior, rebounding from an unsettling 6-3 loss the night before in Langley against the Rivermen.
“We were in a bit of shock [Friday] with our first loss in regulation time in 14 games,” said Grizzlies assistant general manager and assistant coach Craig Didmon. “We had a quick meeting, watching the video from that one and having some closure to it.
“The boys were not happy with their effort [Friday]. They came out real hard tonight and Salmon Arm played hard, it was like a playoff game.”
David Mazurek and Myles Fitzgerald scored goals 2:44 apart eight minutes into the first period as the visiting Grizzlies out-shot the Silverbacks 9-3 in the opening stanza.
Fitzgerald’s goal extended his incredible point-scoring streak to 21 games as he continues to mingle with the league leaders in points, but he left the game in the third period with a cut above his eye on a high hit.
Steve Iacobellis made it 2-1 on a late first-period power play for Salmon Arm.
Grizzlies captain Zach Urban restored the two-goal lead with a power-play marker two minutes into the second period for Victoria, which lost 6-4 to Nanaimo and 3-2 in overtime to Cowichan Valley back on Dec. 29 and Jan. 2 — the last time the Grizz lost two straight.
Leo Fitzgerald, with a pair, and Keyler Bruce also scored for the Grizz while Brady Rouleau earned the win in goal. Alex Gillies had the other two goals for the Silverbacks.
Victoria improves to 32-10-0-6 and remains in first place overall in the league while Salmon Arm falls to 21-21-2-4. The Grizzlies are also 8-2-0-1 vs. Interior Division teams on the season.
It’s not known if Myles Fitzgerald will be out for any length of time. The team is already missing triplet Gerry Fitzgerald, who is out due to injury.
“The two of them [Myles and Leo] were doing real well, battling with the fact that they didn’t have Gerry on that line,” said Didmon. “They were producing and the team needs that, we rely on that.”
Victoria rounds out the weekend road trip in Vernon today against the Vipers at 4 p.m. and the Grizzlies return home on Saturday to play host to Alberni Valley at 7:15 p.m. at Bear Mountain Arena.
mannicchiarico@timescolonist.com
| SCORING SUMMARY |
| PERIOD 1 |
| Victoria Grizzlies at 5:16 – David Mazurekfrom Stefan Nicholishenand Turner Lawson |
| Victoria Grizzlies at 8:00 – Myles Fitzgeraldfrom Pearce Evistonand Zach Urban |
| Salmon Arm SilverBacks at 18:08 (PP) – Steven Iacobellisfrom Alex Gilliesand Harlan Orr |
| PERIOD 2 |
| Victoria Grizzlies at 1:59 (PP) – Zach Urbanfrom Turner Lawson |
| Salmon Arm SilverBacks at 14:17 (PP) – Alex Gilliesfrom Harlan Orrand Steven Iacobellis |
| Victoria Grizzlies at 14:39 – Leo Fitzgeraldfrom Myles Fitzgeraldand Dante Hahn |
| Victoria Grizzlies at 19:43 – Leo Fitzgeraldfrom Myles Powelland Myles Fitzgerald |
| PERIOD 3 |
| Victoria Grizzlies at 11:58 – Keyler Brucefrom Nolan DeJongand David Walchuk |
| Salmon Arm SilverBacks at 15:05 – Alex Gilliesfrom Blake Boxand Steven Iacobellis |
| PENINSULA CO-OP GAS STATION: 3 STARS OF THE GAME | ||
| 1st STAR | 2nd STAR | 3rd STAR
|