It’s down to a best-of-three as the Victoria Grizzlies bounced back for a solid 6-1 road victory over the Powell River Kings in Game 4 of the B.C. Hockey League’s opening best-of-seven playoff series on Saturday night.
The Island Division series is now knotted at 2-2 with Game 5 this afternoon at 4 p.m. in Powell River.
The victory was the first in six attempts at Hap Parker Arena this 2014-15 campaign – including four losses in the regular season and one in Friday’s 5-2 playoff setback – and does force a Game 6 back at The Q Centre on Tuesday night (tickets go on sale on Monday).
“We had to get that over with,” said a relieved Grizzlies’ general manager and head coach Craig Didmon, who was happy about his team’s performances the last three games, despite Friday’s loss. “I thought we were the dominant team in all three.”
Victoria also got the start it so desperately needed when Cole Pickup opened the scoring just 3:17 in for the visitors — their first lead in the series outside of the winning goal in overtime in Game 2.
Nick Halagian tied it up on a power play at 11:04, but Ayden MacDonald, Brett Gruber, Garret Forster and Jay Mackie all scored second-period goals to give the Grizzlies the breathing room they needed. It was Forster’s first post-season goal in just his second game back as he returned from injury on Friday in Powell River.
Victoria’s scoring leaders also came somewhat alive as Dane Gibson recorded an assist for his first point of the series; defenceman Jake Emilio also added his first two points on assists; Gruber was back on the scoreboard; and captain Shawn McBride also got his first goal and point.
“It’s nice when your best players are your best players,” said Didmon, who also liked Thomas Gobeil’s game, even though he has not recorded a point yet.
Goaltender Mike Stiliadis made 25 stops for the Grizzlies while Brett Magnus made just 20 saves for the Kings after making 47 the night before.
Most importantly, the Grizzlies snap the losing streak in Powell River.
“It’s a smaller rink so we have to simplify a little bit. They play a chip-and-chase game and that’s why they play well in their own rink,” said Mackie. “We have to make quick decisions, move it up ice and if we do that we’ll have a step ahead on them.”
