Brian Drewry / Times Colonist
OCTOBER 25, 2019 10:13 PM
Blake Wood came back to haunt his former team Friday as the rookie netminder backstopped the visiting Victoria Grizzlies to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Nanaimo Clippers at Frank Crane Arena.
Eddie Yan helped Nanaimo-native Wood pick up a victory in his hometown as the veteran wheeled in alone on Clippers netminder Jordan Naylor and buried the breakaway at 3:49 of the extra session to help the Grizzlies halt a two-game losing skid.
Rookie Cody Monds opened the scoring for the Grizzlies late in the first period, but the Clippers, playing in front of 1,624 fans on Pink in the Rink Night, rallied in the second with goals from Sean Donaldson and Liam Ryan to take the lead into the intermission.
But Grizzlies captain Marty Westhaver, returning after missing four games with an injury, got his team even with a wrist shot past Naylor midway through the third.
Wood made 41 saves, while Naylor stopped 29 Grizzlies shots.
The Grizzlies are back in action tonight when they host the Prince George Spruce Kings on Kyle Greentree Night at The Q Centre.
Greentree, who played four seasons with the Salsa from 2000-04, will drop the ceremonial first puck as part of the on-going 25th anniversary of the Salsa franchise. The Victoria native had two 100-plus point seasons with the Salsa before leaving for the NCAA and the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. After three seasons at Fairbanks, Greentree moved on to the Philadelphia Flyers organization, playing two seasons for the their AHL team and dressing for two NHL games with the Flyers in 2007-08. He also suited up for two games with the Calgary Flames the following season before spending three more seasons in the AHL.
Greentree finished his pro career in Europe playing in the top division in Austria, Switzerland and Germany.
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