After ruining the Cowichan Valley Capitals teddy bear toss night the night before by shutting out the Caps in Duncan, the Victoria Grizzlies weren’t about to let that happen to themselves on their home ice.
So Brett Gruber snapped a power-play goal home just 38 seconds into Saturday’s night’s game at The Q Centre and the Grizzlies went on to beat the Merritt Centennials 8-7 in overtime in front of 975 appreciative teddy bear-tossing fans.
The quick goal got a fire-wagon style game going and Garrett Forster capped it off with a pond-hockey type goal. After the Centennials tied it with just 8.5 seconds left in regulation and the Grizzlies on the power play, the two teams went to the four-on-four overtime and Forster finished it off with a highlight-reel goal, his second of the game.
After picking up the puck behind his own net, Forster picked up speed across the centre line, cut around the Centennial defence and beat Merritt goalie Anthony Pupplo with a nifty move in close to finish off one of the wildest games the Grizzlies have played this season.
“As soon as I picked the puck up and saw the open space, I knew something was going to happen,” a jubilant Forster said about his 12th goal of the season.
“I just wanted a chance on net and, man, I’m happy with the outcome. That was about as run and gun a game as you’re going to see.”
Every time the Grizzlies scored in the opening frame, the Centennials had an answer, and the Grizzlies went to the first intermission up 3-2.
A power-play marker from Shane Poulsen tied it at 3-3 and with just 1:30 left in the middle frame, Diego Cuglietta beat Michael Stiliadis on a breakaway for his 11th goal of the season and Merritt’s first lead.
From there it was back and forth all night. Even when Grizzlies leading scorer Dane Gibson gave the home side a late lead, burying a pretty feed from Matt Kennedy with just 4:35 remaining, back came the Centennials. And despite being a man down late and having gone to overtime the night before in Nanaimo, the Centennials (15-12-0-2) kept coming. With Pupplo pulled to counter the Grizzlies’ power play, it was Gavin Gould swatting one past Stiliadis to fittingly send the game to the extra frame.
“Certainly, we didn’t want to go into overtime, but it was a good show for the fans and we had a pretty good crowd out,” said Grizzlies new coach Craig Didmon, who improves to 2-0 since his return seven days ago while watching his club move to 13-10-0-5 on the season.
“Obviously, a bit of panic set in on that power play at the end, but give Merritt credit. That’s a good hockey team who keeps coming at you.”
Jay Mackie with two, Kevin Massy, Cole Pickup and Zach Dixon had the other Grizzlies’ goals.
Josh Teves, Jake Clifford and Rhett Wilcox had the other Centennials goals.
Stiliadis made 22 saves for the victory, while Pupplo turned aside 23 Grizzlies shots.
Next up for the Grizzlies is a matchup next Saturday against the Powell River Kings at The Q Centre.
bdrewry@timescolonist.com
