Panthers finally get the monkey off their backs downing the Campbell River Storm 3-2.

The Peninsula Panthers have been playing a whole lot better over the past several games and as they made themselves ready for the undefeated Campbell River Storm on Friday night, they looked ahead at what the feeling might be when 60 minutes were in the book.  The Club envisioned a win just minutes before going on the ice and looked at what might be said after a win.  "If one less player gave one less percent we would have lost the game."  And in starting with the end in mind, a focused and energized squad skated onto the ice still in search of their first win.

Both Clubs played a hard-fought and evenly-played first period but nothing was solved after 20 minutes were in the books.  Former Panthers' stopper Joey Karrer was making his return to the Peninsula between the pipes for the Storm after being moved this past summer, while 17-year-old Will Harvey was attempting to get his season on track making the start for the Panthers.  Both looked solid and each stopped 7 shots as the two teams left the ice for the 1st intermission as the Zamboni began to circle and grease the sheet.

But it was the Storm who would hit paydirt first when Connor Logan slid a nifty pass to Michael Olsen at the 2:24 mark as he moved down the right side towards Harvey.  Olsen backhanded a lazy shot that somehow found the back of the cage, probably a tally that Harvey would have liked to replay.  But Reece Costain replied four minutes later to knot the score at 1-1.  Costain picked up the puck just inside the Storm blueline and snapped a blast over Karrer that seemed to surprise the talented netminder.  Grayden Hohl and Trevor Owens added helpers on the play.  Both teams once again exchanged 7 shots and there was not much to choose between the two at the end of the 2nd stanza.

It was the home "Cats" who finally realized a couple of fortunate bounces in the 3rd period - some puck luck that has been missing for quite some time.  Kai Turner gave the Club the lead when at the 1:39 mark he found the disc sitting in the crease behind Karrer.  The lanky Forward swooped in and tapped a one-foot putt into the gaping cage after Braedan Pearce had worked to get it into that position.  The teams went back and forth and perhaps the TSN turning point of the game occurred at the 9:19 mark when the Storm's Gavin Rauser was whistled for a five-minute major for kneeing when he gave the business to Panthers' 17-year-old defenceman Torin O'Brien.  O'Brien stayed down for some time and was obviously in distress and after a short conversation between the officials, Rauser was sent to the dressing room for an early shower.  The Panthers did not generate many chances but the energy line of Ben Meyerink, Koby Hale and Cody Allison made the best of their opportunity for some powerplay time.  The puck moved back to the point where 18-year-old and newly appointed Alternate Captain Tom Dakers sent a shot towards Karrer.  The puck hit off the pants of Hale and whipped past a startled Storm goaltender giving the Panthers the 3-1 lead with under 7 minutes left in the affair.  But the Storm were not done and there was more story yet to be written.  At the 16:14 mark and on the powerplay, Storms' Nathan Browne received the puck in the high slot after a setup from Zack Sanderson and Kobi Oishi.  Browne ripped a bomb that found nothing but net and certainly ranked up there as the goal of the night.  The Storm continued to carry the play in the dying minutes and Karrer was pulled with 90 seconds left for an extra attacker.  But the Panthers were a determined group and as the seconds ticked off they would not be denied on this night.

A happy group exploded off the bench when the final buzzer sounded, pleased to finally get the proverbial monkey off their backs.  Harvey, Spencer Loverock and Costain were named the three stars.  The Storm outshot the Panthers on the night by a 25-21 margin.

"We really have not been focused on the final result but only focused on getting better each day," explained Owner Pete Zubersky.  "The kids have been playing well for five games now except for the 3rd period debacle against Nanaimo last Friday evening.  We played two good games against Kerry Park a couple weeks ago and were 1-1 with the Bucs after 40 minutes last Friday before caving in.  And on Wednesday I thought we deserved a better fate against the Braves.  I am really happy for the kids.  They are an awesome group and they believe in each other and hopefully more wins will follow now that we have the first one under our belts."

If one less player gave one less percent, we would have lost the game.

The Panthers head up to Campbell River on Sunday to complete the second half of the home-and-home series and will be back at the friendly confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre next Friday night when they host the visiting Comox Valley Glacier Kings.  The puck is set to drop at 7:30 pm