In a strange bit of coincidence, the Victoria Grizzlies' fan bus broke down on the way to Nanaimo, forced to pull off the road in Chemainus on Friday night.
The wheels also came off for the Grizzlies as the Clippers had a rude welcome for their former head coach Bill Bestwick, who is now the general manager and head man for the Grizzlies.
Kyle Kramer scored a pair of goals, including the game winner, as the now 4-1-0-0 Clippers defeated visiting Victoria 4-2 in Bestwick's much-ballyhooed first visit to his old stomping grounds.
Kramer and Brendan Taylor scored third-period goals to snap a 2-2 tie as the Grizzlies slid to 5-2-0-1 before 1,520 fans at Frank Crane Arena.
The Grizzlies wasted glorious power-play opportunities, finishing 1-for-9 on the night.
"Our power play was just awful," a disappointed Bestwick said. "We didn't register what I consider many quality scoring chances, especially on the 5-on-3 in the first period."
Spencer Turcotte opened the scoring just 2: 52 in for the Clippers as he beat Victoria netminder Mike Stiliadis on a onetimer.
Blake Thompson evened it up with his first of the season at 16: 41 as he ripped a wrist shot from the point by goaltender Jayson Argue on a power play. But that was shortlived as Kyle Kramer restored the Nanaimo lead at 17: 57.
Leo Fitzgerald tied it back up at 2-2 at 14: 47 of the second period before the third-period Clippers' rally.
"We were happy to be tied after the second. Then we struggled on penalty kill early in the third and didn't get the job done," Bestwick said.
Victoria is back home tonight at 7: 15 as the Coquitlam Express visit Bear Mountain Arena.
mannicchiarico@timescolonist.com Twitter/tc_vicsports
