Panthers edge Storm 3-2 in front end of home-and-home series

If Friday night at the Panorama Recreation Centre was any indication of how the Peninsula Panthers and Campbell River Storm will match up in two days, fans in Campbell River best put on their seatbelts right around 4:00 pm on Sunday afternoon.  Although there was no weather advisory on the Peninsula, there was no doubt that a Storm was brewing as the iron lung pulled into the parking lot at the Panorama approx. two hours before game time on Friday.  And a team of neatly-attired players wearing dark slacks and black golf shirts unloaded off the bus looking to add a couple notches in their belts as the Northern Division leading Club.  The Peninsula Panthers had a different idea.

The two Clubs took the customary 15-minute warmup and both squads appeared to have a jump in their step.  The youthful Panthers and a more veteran Storm group were clearly two squads that "can pick them up and put them down" and this fact was evident as pucks whistled around, players stretched, and goalies kicked.

After the sheet was greased and the National Anthem was belted out, it was time for the fans in attendance to simply sit back and enjoy the game.  And that they did.  Both squads exchanged chances in the high-paced intense 1st period but it was Panthers' Cam Thompson who would be the only marksman through the initial 20 minutes.  At the 17:21 mark, Thompson gathered in a puck near the centre line just behind the Storm defence.  But the slick 17-year-old did not have a full head of steam and was quickly caught by a defender.  Thompson was forced to his backhand however managed to shield the puck from the would be checker and once in tight, he deftly lifted the disk to the back of the Storm net past a startled Billy Gorn who was between the pipes for the visitors.

The 2nd frame started out poorly for the Panthers when at the 1:46 mark the diminutive but highly-skilled Colin Blake snuck in behind the Panthers defence and was fed a long pass through the neutral zone to put him in alone on the "Cats" starter Alex Olson.  And Blake would make no mistake in knotting the game at 1-1.  The teams exchanged several chances before Panthers' Kai Turner put the Panthers back up by a marker.  Seventeen-year-old Matt Forbes blasted a shot from the left point at the 10:55 mark and the puck hit high on the chest of Gorn.  The Storm netminder failed to control the rebound and when it dropped to the ice in the crease, Turner was "Johnny on the spot" to bang it home.  That would spell the end to Gorn's evening as he was pulled in favour of Matt Kostiw.  And only a bit over a minute later, it appeared as though the move sparked the visitors when they replied on a power play tally off the stick of Brett Witala to tie the game at 2-2.  Once again the play went up and down the sheet but both Olson and Kostiw held firm and the score remained the same after 40 minutes were in the books.

At the 6:16 mark of the 3rd stanza, Thompson would strike again after been sent in alone on Kostiw by Forbes.  Thompson skated to within 10 feet of the Campbell River cage and then ripped a shot over the glove of the Storm Goaltender which found nothing but net.  The Storm were given a couple of power play opportunities and rang a shot off the post late in the contest, but could not solve Olson again.  And with just over a minute left Kostiw joined Gorn on the bench for an extra attacker but for the most part, the Panthers held the Storm at bay to nail down the 3-2 win.

The three stars on the night were Thompson, Forbes and Olson.  Olson faced 23 shots on the night in picking up the win while the combination of Gorn and Kostiw had 22 Panthers attempts directed their way in what was a highly-entertaining and fast-paced game.  Kostiw was tagged for the loss.

"We have given away at least four games this season with mistakes, youthful mistakes," explained Pete Zubersky.  We played in Saanich on Wednesday and with four minutes to go, looked like we were ready to salt away a win but gave that one away as well.  I said to our Head Coach Rob Mortin that the overtime tie with the Braves hurt more than any of them as we had played a great game for 56 minutes and simply handed them a point.  I also said that it might have been the most important lesson of this season and it might be the best thing that has happened to this group.  We made that point to a disappointed dressing room after that game.  I thought tonight our kids played hard once again.  But tonight they also played smart.  The last minutes of this game were exactly what we have been looking for, it is a lot of fun seeing these kids develop as a group."

The Panthers head up to Campbell River on Sunday in what should be a charged atmosphere and it will be yet another chance to improve.  The Club will be back at home at the Panorama Recreation Centre next Friday night when they host the Kerry Park Islanders in a big Southern Division tilt.  The puck is set to drop at the usual 7:30 pm and a sizeable crowd is expected.

Go Panthers!  Go Jays!