Panthers win in the clutch

Just like any new vehicle, it takes a bit of time to break in.  The brakes are a bit tight, the motor needs some breaking in, the clutch needs just a few miles to work smoothly.  And for the young Peninsula Panthers in what was an extremely important game, they too needed just a few miles on the odometer on Friday night for everything to be clicking.  They needed miles on the brakes, they needed miles on the motor and then they were "Clutch!" when it counted.  And when everything started to click, the result was a very important and welcome 4-2 win over the Westshore Wolves on a very sweet night in every way at the Panorama Recreation Centre.

The evening which was tabbed as "Peninsula Minor Hockey Association and Fan Appreciation Night" started out much like any other game this past season.  Clayton Butler belted out the National Anthem and seems to get better each time out.  This time the youngster, who plays hockey in the PMHA, wore his jersey from the local team he plays on rather that the Peninsula Panthers jersey that he usually wears.  "It was funny, he asked before the game if it would be OK to wear the Peninsula Eagles jersey and of course it was," said Pete Zubersky.  "I told him that he absolutely should wear the jersey from his team.  It was what the night was about.  Our relationship with the PMHA is so very important and I wish that we could have had every single player, coach, manager and executive out.  It was a good showing and I wish it could have been everyone, as I think the ones that were unable to make it really missed out on a special evening.  But that is impossible with so many busy schedules."

The Wolves wanted to spoil the party and that was obvious from the start.  Although the Panthers carried the play for the first several minutes, it would be the Wolves who would grab the early lead at the 5:10 mark of the first period on a Panthers miscue.  The puck was inadvertantly passed to a Wolves' player and a second later it was in the back of the Panthers' net on a goal scored by Wolves' Brodie Smith.  And the Wolves would be back on the board only three minutes later when the diminutive and speedy Cam Kinsman raced down the left side and then pulled the trigger on a snap shot from the face-off dot to beat Panthers starter Alex Olson on the glove side.  The goal would end the night for Olson and 16-year-old Shawn Parkinson jumped between the pipes for the locals.  Parkinson and Wolves netminder Leighton Williams were both solid for the remaining 11:49 of the period and the two Clubs skated to the dressing room for the intermission.

The Panthers management then hosted a heart-warming celebration with all eyes on 11-year-old Dacian Filipeascu and his parents.  The Panthers partnered with Craig Smith, the Executive Director of 'Help Fill A Dream Foundation' and Sue Hodgson, the owner and publisher of the Seaside Magazine on the evening to help Dacian realize one of his dreams.  A special on-ice ceremony was held where the Panthers presented Dacian with one of the 3rd jerseys that were made up for this specific game and then it was Smith who would take centre stage.  Dacian is a a huge Edmonton Oiler fan and was gifted with a signed Wayne Gretzky stick and a trip to Edmonton this Monday to watch the Oilers play that night, attend a Tuesday morning practice, and then watch the Oilers once again on Wednesday evening before flying home on Thursday.  Dacian was asked what he thought about everything while still out on the ice and he said, "I'm speechless!"

As the ice was greased, the Panthers then headed to the Lobby and the players signed autographs for the young fans in attendance.  Dacian joined the team and he signed a specially made hockey card that was made up for the game by Craig Smith and his Foundation. 

The Panthers seemed to wake up just a bit after the autograph session was in the books and they came storming out of the chute.  Josh Poland got the local "Cats" on the board early and on the power play after being setup nicely by Justin Post and Ryan Warner.  The goal sparked the Club and they took it to the Wolves for the rest of the game.  The Panthers had chance after chance but Williams was just as good, stymieing scoring opportunity after scoring opportunity.  With only five seconds left in the period, Williams who had been bending, finally broke.  The puck moved back to the left point to sniper Cam Thompson and he walked in and absolutely buried a blast to the top shelf over a fallen Williams.  The goal left the two Clubs deadlocked at 2-2 after the 2nd stanza and it was a goal that left the Panthers Club leaving the ice clearly on a high.  Post and Captain Spencer Loverock were both awarded helpers on the power play goal.

The two Clubs returned for the final twenty minutes and before the puck was dropped, the Wolves were whistled for a bench minor and the Panthers went back to work on the power play.  With only four ticks left in the two-minute minor, Panthers' Kai Turner beat Williams to give the Club their first lead of the game.  And it would be a lead they would not relinquish.  The Wolves and Panthers would exchange several good scoring opportunities and around the midway mark, the Wolves were awarded a penalty shot.  As the Wolves Brandon Tutte came in on Parkinson, it appeared as though the young netminder had everything covered and the puck rolled off the shooters' stick and harmlessly away as the Panthers bench exploded.  With only a minute left, Williams was pulled for the extra attacker but - to no avail.  At the 19:52 mark, Loverock picked up the disk deep in his own end, wheeled through the neutral zone and then wristed a shot from just inside the blueline.  The shot found nothing but net and the insurance marker nailed down the all important win, vaulting the Panthers into 2nd place in the VIJHL South.  The locals spilled over the boards eight seconds later to join Parkinson in the celebration, a win that completed a most important week for the Panthers and their playoff aspirations.

Parkinson blocked all nineteen shots he faced in picking up the win, while Williams stopped 38 of 41 Panthers shots.  The overall shots on goal were in favour of the home squad by a 42-24 margin.  Parkinson, Thompson and Poland were named the contest's three stars on the night.

The Panthers were also keeping their eye on another very important game taking place just a few miles away at the George Pearkes Arena in a contest between the Saanich Braves and the Kerry Park Islanders.  The Islanders held a first period lead of 4-0 and looked to be home and cooled, but the Braves responded with six unanswered goals to upset the visitors 6-4.  The Islanders trail the Panthers by 4 points in the chase for 2nd spot while the Wolves fall two points off the pace and two points ahead of the Islanders.  The three Clubs are trying to nail down the all-important 2nd spot in the South standings and have schedules that look like this;

Panthers: 1 game remaining against Oceanside at home
Wolves: 1 game remaining against Saanich at home
Islanders: 3 games remaining, Cougars, Cougars, Bucs

The night was not yet over!  The Organization then took the opportunity to gift the game-worn 3rd jerseys to the PMHA players and fans in attendance and the night was capped off when Brad Peden from Peden RV Superstore pulled a Travel Trailer onto the ice for yet another draw.  Peden's have been longtime sponsors of the Hockey Club and it would be Brad Peden who would step up to make the final draw of the evening.



An exhausted crowd filtered from the friendly confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre and based on the entertainment level of this affair, one would think most will be back next Friday night when the Panthers close off their regular season against the Oceanside Generals.  A large crowd is expected.