Panthers win in sudden fashion on a Cam Thompson overtime marker

For a young Club that is learning how to win, game #44 of the Peninsula Panthers 48-game Regular Season might just be an effort that should be bottled and then re-opened again and again and again.  After having their flame doused just a bit on Thursday night in Esquimalt when they were dumped by the high flying Victoria Cougars, the "Cats" from the Peninsula wasted no time in getting right back onto the horse on Friday evening.  Playing in the friendly confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre, the Panthers scored an impressive win when they knocked off the visiting Nanaimo Buccaneers 2-1.  The game-winner was scored by the super-skilled 17-year-old rookie Cameron Thompson 3:32 into the first overtime period in dramatic and highlight fashion.

The puck dropped at Centre ice just shortly after 7:30 pm and for the first 20 minutes, there was not much to choose between the two Clubs.  Sixteen-year-old Shawn Parkinson was making the start between the pipes for the home squad, while Alex Orth had his number punched and was minding the net for the visitors.  Orth was coming off an impressive 1-0 overtime win over the Victoria Cougars last Sunday night and with the Bucs pounding of the Saanich Braves by an 11-1 on Thursday evening, it looked as though the Panthers might just have their hands full.  Both goaltenders were tested in the initial stanza, with Parkinson being tested just a bit more.

It would be 16-year-old Marty Westhaver who would open the scoring in the game for the Panthers when at the 16:18 mark of the 2nd frame, he beat Orth after taking a nice feed off the stick of Grayden Hohl.  The tally was the 17th of the year for the Panthers' rookie who leads all 16-year-olds in the VIJHL in scoring.  Westhaver currently sits tied in 14th place in the VIJHL for goals scored.

It looked as though the Panthers might just hold onto the 1-0 lead however, disaster stuck at the 15:37 mark of the 3rd period.  Panthers' killer Trent Bell raced down the left side and just as he entered the Panthers zone, he deftly moved a pass past the defenceman and onto the stick of Jordan Levesque.  The speedy sniper split the Panthers defence and went in all alone on Parkinson, ripping a wrist shot low on the glove side to knot the score at 1-1.  The Bucs seemed to gain some momentum off the goal and with just under two minutes left, a Buccaneers forward rang a shot off the crossbar.  Both teams played a somewhat defensive final 90 seconds and when the final buzzer rang, the score remained tied.

The Panthers seemed to control much of the overtime and although the Bucs threw a couple shots Parkinson's way, they were not dangerous.  Cam Thompson picked up a pass off the stick of Garnett Roberts and he broke down the right side at the end of a long shift.  The crafty 17-year-old rookie who leads all Panthers' scorers, made a great move to beat a Bucs defenceman leaving himself all alone with Orth.  But Thompson had little time and with a quick flick of the wrist the puck went to the roof of the net over the blocker of Orth.  Panthers' players spilled over the boards to maul Thompson who scored perhaps the biggest goal of the season for the Club.

Parkinson blocked 32 of 33 shots in picking up the win while Orth was almost as good stopping 24 of 26 shots sent his way.  Parkinson, Thompson and Orth were named the three stars on the night.  The win was the 11th time that the Panthers have headed into overtime in the 44 games they have played to date.

"That was a win that we needed," said Pete Zubersky who was stating the obvious.  "It's crazy tight right now.  We start the game in 4th place in the South and end the night tied for 2nd.  Every game matters so much in the standings."

Parkinson struggled in the early going this season and his confidence at times seemed to be like walking on eggshells.  But as of late, the lanky netminder has been solid each time he drew a start and he rewarded Head Coach Rob Mortin on the night.

"Parky was great tonight," said Mortin.  "He was a difference-maker.  That game did not belong to us, it did not belong to the Bucs.  That game came down to a battle of the goaltenders and Shawn was up to the task this evening.  I think with his performance last night in Victoria and again tonight at home, he showed us all that we have two goaltenders that we can count on.  And I would not want anyone else in alone on Orth more than Thompson, he is just money."

Zubersky chimed in on Parkinson.  "Young players need time to develop.  We were talking about Shawn after the game.  He got blasted a bit after the 1st period in Comox quite a number of games ago and has been really good since then.  The process has been a bit longer with Shawn than I expected but he made a big jump from a Midget A Association to Junior Hockey.  He always had a smile through the tough times and we are all really happy for him now that he seems to be coming out the other side.  I'm excited to see him play more.  The kid gets a huge slap on the back for his performance tonight."

The Panthers moved into a 2nd place tie with the Kerry Park Islanders, one point more than the Westshore Wolves in a South Division that has never been so tight.  The Club will take on the visiting Victoria Cougars next Friday night at home in a game which will have a lot of off-ice activity with the Peninsula Co-op sponsoring the evening.  But until then they will most likely be watching the scoreboard with some crucial games involving the Wolves and Islanders on tap this week.  It really does not get any better!