The Grizzlies’ Marty Westhaver controls the puck in a game against the Bulldogs last month at The Q Centre. He was a thorn in Alberni Valley’s side Tuesday night with two goals and an assist.
Photograph By DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST
Brian Drewry / Times Colonist
MARCH 5, 2019 10:19 PM
Victoria Grizzlies head coach Craig Didmon said his team would need secondary scoring if they were to win Game 3 in Port Alberni against the Bulldogs in their first-round playoff series.
Ask and you shall receive.
With the Grizzlies’ top line of Alex Newhook, Riley Hughes and Alex Campbell (until he was injured in the first period and replaced by Kyle McGrath) held to just a Newhook goal, the Grizzlies’ depth came to the forefront, with veteran Cam Thompson beating John Hawthorne 9:15 into overtime to give the Grizzlies a 6-5 win and a 3-0 series lead in the Island Division semifinal.
Marty Westhaver, scoring twice and setting up Thompson’s winner, Ryan Nolan getting his first of the playoffs, and defenceman Nico Somerville paced the Grizzlies to a 5-3 lead after 40 minutes at Weyerhaeuser Arena
And the Grizzlies were seconds away from winning it in regulation when the Bulldogs’ Mitch Deelstra scored with 56 seconds left in the third period and netminder Hawthorne pulled for the extra attacker to tie the Grizzlies at 5-5.
It was Deelstra’s second goal of the game as he tallied midway through the third to get the ’Dogs rolling.
The Grizzlies also got their power play going, as Victoria was 3-for-5 with the man advantage on Tuesday and is now 4-10 in the series.
Chapman made 36 saves for this third win of the post-season, while Hawthorne turned aside 33 Grizzlies’ shots.
Game 4 goes Wednesday night in Alberni.
Game 5, if it’s needed, is set for Friday night at The Q Centre.
bdrewry@timescolonist.com
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