Yamamoto blasts Panthers past Wolves 4-3

The Comox Valley Glacier Kings' fate has all been sealed and they will be watching from the sidelines when the VIJHL playoffs kick off in mid-February.   But everything else in terms of the playoffs is completely up in the air as teams around the League come around the clubhouse turn and into the stretch.  Every single point is crucial at this point in the season and Friday night in the friendly confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre in a game between the visiting Westshore Wolves and Peninsula Panthers two hugely important points were on the line and up for grabs.

The Wolves came limping into the game having lost seven in a row but the "Cats" were fully aware that nothing is as dangerous as a wounded and cornered Wolf.  And it took only 1:19 into the first frame for the visitors to grab an early 1-0 lead on their first shot of the game.  The Panthers blitzed the Wolves net in the first minute of play however, goaltender Luke Sheldrake was up to the task.  The puck moved out of the Wolves' zone and an unfortunate bounce saw the VIJHL's leading scorer Cam Coutre blow by a Panthers' defenceman at the blueline as he wheeled in toward goaltender Chris Akerman.  Coutre snapped a wrist shot high on the glove side past Akerman to stun and silence the sizeable crowd in attendance.  But the Panthers' line of Riley Braun, Josh Lingard and Tanner Wort had a response.  The three youngsters - who were reunited for the game - took only 37 seconds to knot the score at 1-1 when Braun beat Sheldrake from in close.  Lingard and Wort earned helpers on the marker.  And late in the 1st frame, the trio were at it again.  Defenceman Gavin Yee battled with a Wolves' forechecker behind the Panthers' net however Yee was able to win the battle and the puck squirted to Lingard, who was deep in the defensive zone helping out.  Lingard took two strides and then hit Wort with a rinkwide pass as he romped down the left side.  Wort skated through the neutral zone and into the Wolves' end and then made a slick toe-drag to beat the lone defender before ripping one past Sheldrake with only 12 seconds left to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead heading to the dressing room.

But all was not well in Panthersville!  The Club seemed sluggish and somewhat uninspired and were probably fortunate to come out of the first 20 minutes with the lead, a fact not lost on Head Coach Brad Tippett.  The bench boss had a little fireside chat with his men and this seemed to bring the spark back into the game. 

Although playing with more passion, the Panthers were outscored 2-1 in the middle stanza.  Coutre lit the lamp for the 2nd time at the 3:26 mark and then Nick Polomark scored exactly three minutes later to give the Wolves a 3-2 lead and the momentum.  But the "Kid" line struck again at the 13:35 mark when Lingard controlled the puck in the corner to Sheldrake's right.  The talented forward whipped a pass onto the stick of Wort, who had settled in the slot, and he quickly sent it towards Sheldrake who was forced to make the save.  Braun was stationed in front and he coralled the rebound, spun and deposited the tying marker on the ice past the Wolves' stopper.  The two teams exchanged some chances for the remainder of the 2nd but both Akerman and Sheldrake held firm with the score at 3-3.

The final period was hotly contested, both teams needing the points badly.  At the 16:29 mark, a Wolves' forward was whistled for a minor penalty putting the Panthers on a late power play.  Matt Lawrence won the draw to the right of Sheldrake and the speedy and talented Nolan Lee swooped in, picked up the loose puck and moved it back to the left point onto the stick of Thomas Spink.  Spink moved it rinkwide to his defense partner, Shota Yamamoto.  The rugged 17-year-old walked the puck down and then blasted the winner past Sheldrake, a goal that might prove to be one of the most important of the regular season, certainly to this point.  The Panthers held on the rest of the way sending the Wolves down to their 8th consecutive loss and pulling the Panthers within a point of the Kerry Park Islanders, Oceanside Generals and Westshore Wolves in the crowded VIJHL.

Akerman was good on 30 of 33 shots and was awarded the win while Sheldrake was tagged for the loss stopping 26 of 30 Panthers' attempts.  Braun, Wort and Lingard were named the contest's three stars.

The Panthers have a tough pair of games ahead of them next weekend when they host the suddenly red hot Saanich Braves on Friday night before heading up Island to try and knock off the Nanaimo Buccaneers.  It's always a good time to get hot but considering the logjam in the standings, now might be a better time than ever.