Panthers 6-game win streak ends at hand of Cougars

February 2, 2020
Esquimalt, British Columbia

The Peninsula Panthers came into the Archie Browning Arena on Sunday afternoon riding on the crest of a six-game winning streak but the wave hit a big beach called the Victoria Cougars and came to a crashing end.  The Cougars were full value for the 2-1 win after coming back from a 1-0 1st period deficit.  

Logan Speirs opened the scoring at the 6:00 minute mark on assists by Jonah Ragsdale and Tanner Wort.  But the Cougars responded with just 55 ticks left in the frame when Jackson Egan beat Panthers' stopper Andrew Rocha on a passing play that was easily the prettiest of the game.

Evan Easton scored the winning goal at 12:02 of the 2nd period when he banged in a rebound that Rocha had left just outside the crease.  It was the last time either Rocha or Cougars' netminder Brett Anderson would be scored on.

"The Cougars came into the game with a plan.  They worked harder than we did and they paid a bigger price than we did, it is that simple," said GM Pete Zubersky.  "A few players on our team did not play their role and that cost us today.  It is not Game 15, or 22 or 34.  It matters now.  It's hard to win when guys who are supposed to bang, don't.  It's hard to win when wingers don't get the puck out because they are not willing to take a hit to make the play.  It's hard to win when all 20 guys don't pay the price.  The further you get in the season and in the playoffs, the numbers become smaller and smaller.  You can win Game 10 of the season with only 10-12 guys going hard.  In Game 7 of a series, you cannot win if you have 19 of 20 guys going.  We were 4-5 guys short today and it cost on the scoreboard."

The Panthers and Cougars will go head-to-head on Friday night at the Panorama Recreation Centre.  Coach Tippett will be looking for all 20 players to be pulling on the rope.  The puck drops at 7:30 pm.