Four 1st period goals proved to be the difference in a Panthers 5-1 win over the visiting Kerry Park Islanders

Friday November 12, 2021
North Saanich, British Columbia

The Peninsula Panthers literally limped into the Panorama Recreation Centre two hours before the puck dropped for their game at 7:30 pm against the visiting Kerry Park Islanders.  The squad had a number of their defencemen out of the lineup with a variety of bumps and bruises, the most prominent being an knee injury to Theo St-Denis who had been advised by Team Doctors earlier in the week that he would require surgery and would be out for the remainder of the season.  There were others who were both in and out of the lineup who were not 100% but Athletic Therapist Rachel Schmidt and Team Doctors were working to try and patch together a group that they could roll out when the clock struck 7:30 pm.

GM/Head Coach Brad Tippett knew the first number of minutes in the game were not going to be pretty and, as expected, a rested and hungry Islanders squad took control as soon as the puck was dropped.  And before the Panthers got their collective feet underneath those banged up bodies, the Islanders had already thrown 11 shots at starter Ashton Lukan without a response on Islander netminder Eric Young.  But at the 8:08 mark of the 1st period, Mason McNeill gathered in a puck at the blueline and sent it hurtling towards young and the visitor's cage.  Panthers Captain and VIJHL leading scorer Riley Braun was in the dirty area of the ice four feet on top of the crease in an attempt to take away Young's eyes.  Braun did that and more as he was able to tip the incoming puck behind Young to open the scoring.  It was only the Panthers second shot of the game.  The goal seemed to give the 'Cats' a burst of energy as their sluggish start was certainly as a result of playing their 3rd game in as many nights.  At 14:46, the line of Tristan Rosenblood, Davey Moody and Julien Phillips were hard on the forecheck and forced a miscue and turnover that resulted in the puck landing on the stick of Rosenblood who was stationed all alone in the slot some 12 feet out.  Rosenblood, who has a knack for scoring, snapped a shot past the unprotected goaltender and suddenly the home side was up by two.  There was more to come.  Just 48 seconds later, Matt Seale took a shot from the right side half-wall on Young and the rebound popped out the other side to an awaiting Riley Braun.  Braun's eyes became wider than the gaping cage and he shovelled in the buiscuit which provided the Panthers a three-goal cushion.  It was time for another line to be front and centre when at the 18:39 mark, Tanner Banks, Ryan Grambart and Aleko Sdrakas played perhaps the most dominant shift of the game.  The trio buzzed around in the Islanders end causing all kinds of havoc and eventually Sdrakas came skating around the net behind Young after the trio had cycled and battled for the puck in the corner which seemed to last for hours.  The speedster moved the puck out to the point to veteran defenceman Hunter Jensen who seemed to have a tick or two before having to make a decision.  Jensen sent the puck from the left side through the seam to Banks who was waiting ten feet out on the right side of the cage.  And Banks, who is known for his offensive ability but who had been going through a goal-scoring drought, beat the stopper to open up a 4-0 lead as the two teams headed to the locker room.  The Panthers had been outshot 16-13 to that point in the game but Lukan had given the Club a taste of the goaltending they were looking for.

Both Clubs exchanged quality chances in the middle stanza and late at the 19:22 mark, Logan Speirs scored to continue his stretch of garnering at least a point in every one of the 'Cats' 25 games this season.  Riley Braun and his brother Payton were awarded with helpers on the play.  The buzzer sounded 38 seconds after the Speirs' marker to signify that 40 minutes were in the history books.

The Islanders pushed to make a game of it in the final frame but the night belonged to Lukan and his mates.  Islanders Captain Matt Baird was able to burst the bubble late in the contest when he rifled a shot from 22 feet out that seemed to go under the right arm of the Panthers' starting netminder.  It was the only blemish on the evening for Lukan.

Julian Phillips played some important minutes and brought his physicality to the game and was named Player of the Game for the Panthers for his efforts, although a number of others could have quite as easily been named.  And Brady Estabrook picked up the same honour for his side after racing down the right side to create some offence on perhaps 10-12 different occasions.  Lukan blocked 37 of 38 Islanders attempts and picked up the win in his best outing of the season, while Young was tagged with a loss, albeit, his first of the season, and was able to get in front of 28 out of 33 pucks sent flying towards the Islanders net.

The Panthers will be in Esquimalt next Thursday night and hope to extend their winning streak to six games.  They will be back to the friendly confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre next Friday night when they welcome in the visiting Westshore Wolves for a 7:30 pm start.

Panthers tracks....The Panthers have been on hot streak as of late and as a result have moved up significantly in the standings....they now sit in 2nd in the VIJHL South Division and after three wins in three days, blew past the Wolves by 3 points....the win was important as they now lead the Islanders by ten points....the Wolves have two games in hand while the Islanders have five games in hand over the 'Cats'....A logjam has formed between the pipes with Lukan, newly-acquired Brady Kelly, who was more than solid in a 4-3 win over the Saanich Predators on Thursday afternoon, and the youngster Rogan Bacon all looking to get quality minutes....the result seems to be better and more consistent performances as of late....The 'Cats' have been fielding calls with other Organizations who have been trying to determine if any of the 'Cats' goaltenders might be available....Tippett in wearing his General Manager's hat has been in a number of extended conversations in the last several days as trade winds are certainly blowing and something appears like it may be imminent....Panthers have played more games than any other team in the League but their schedule tapers a bit from this point to the end of the regular season....all four lines are playing key roles and giving Coach Tippett a number of different options when rolling bodies over the wall, a nice situation to be in.