Panthers leave Wolves howling after 3-1 win

The last two nights have been like playoff hockey for the young Peninsula Panthers Jr. Hockey Club and lessons learned will be valuable down the stretch and into the second season.  After a heartbreaking 5-4 double overtime defeat at the hands of the Victoria Cougars on Thursday evening in Esquimalt, the Panthers returned to the friendly confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre on Friday and promptly got right back to their winning ways.

Head Coach Rob Mortin was a little concerned coming into the game and he had every right to be.  The Panthers had played into double overtime the previous night in Victoria and perhaps were somewhat mentally exhausted when the puck dropped just shortly after 7:30 pm on Friday night.  The Westshore Wolves were the opponent and although the game had huge implication in the South Division standings in the VIJHL, the light bulb did not turn on in the first frame for the "Cats."

"We played perhaps our worst 20 minutes of the season when the puck dropped this evening," explained Mortin.  For the first time all season long, I thought we came out and played with a purpose for the entire game last night against the Cougars and were ahead with under six minutes to go.  I wondered if that work ethic would be there this evening and it honestly was not for the entire first period.  That being said, our goaltender was our best player and he saved our backsides time and time again."

Olson stopped all 15 shots the Westshore Wolves threw at him in the first stanza and against the play, Grayden Hohl took full advantage of the only real chance the Panthers had.  At the 7:02 mark, Hohl undressed a Wolves' defender and moved in all alone on Wolves' goaltender Chris Smith.  He snapped a shot over his glove hand to put his team in the lead and it would prove to be the only goal of the period.  Justin Post and Trevor Owens were awarded helpers on the play.  It was the first Panthers shot, Olson already had recorded nine saves at the time.  The Panthers were only able to muster 4 shots on Smith when the two Clubs went to the dressing rooms for the 1st intermission.

The Panthers woke up in the 2nd period and controlled the game for the most part.  They threw shot after shot on Smith but it took until the 19:31 mark before Spencer Loverock was able to break Smith once again, giving the Panthers a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes were in the books.  Owens and Hohl added assists on the power play marker.

The game became tight once again in the final stanza when Wolves' Cam Kinsman blasted a shot from the point that beat an obviously screened Olson, leaving him no chance on the play.  Kinsman had just come off the Wolves bench to join the play in the Panthers end and he walked right into the puck, which was set up on a tee for him as he crossed the blueline.  It would be the only mark on an otherwise clean game by the Panthers' stopper.  The Panthers went to the power play once again and at the 15:52 mark, Loverock wired his second goal of the game on a blast from the left point.  Kai Turner and Grayden Hohl had set up their Captain for the shot and then were right back in front of Smith cutting off any chance he had to see the puck.  The insurance marker would be the final stake through the Wolves' heart as the Panthers eased through the final four minutes for the win.

Olson blocked 34 of 35 shots in picking up the win and the selection as 1st star in the game.  Smith was solid but was collared with the loss, stopping 25 of 28 Panthers attempts.  Loverock and Hohl were the other two stars on the evening.

In other VIJHL action of significance to the Panthers, the Kerry Park Islanders edged out the Saanich Braves 4-3.  The Panthers now lead the Islanders by a single point and have opened a three-point lead over the Wolves in the battle for 2nd place in the South Division.

The Club will travel to the Q Centre on Wednesday evening when the two teams will do it all over again before coming back home next Friday night when they will host the visiting Saanich Braves.  Puck drops at 7:30 p.m.