SharePanthers claw Wolves to draw first blood
2022-02-22
#19, 20-year-old Kyle Brown was obtained by the Peninsula Panthers at the trade deadline to add some pop to the offence in the post-season. Brown scored his 1st marker as a Cat to get the monkey off his back into an empty net and showed his relief shortly after.
The Peninsula Panthers utilized their home-ice advantage Tuesday night in the Best-of-7 opener, upending the visiting Westshore Wolves by a 5-1 count.Tuesday, February 22, 2022
North Saanich, British Columbia
A team effort from all 20 Peninsula Panthers players resulted in a hard-fought and well-deserved 5-1 Tuesday evening in the friendly confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre. Ashton Lukan collected the win for the Panthers kicking out 21 of 22 scoring attemps from the visitors, while Jacob Haydar was the busier of the two and blocked 30 of 34 shots sent in his direction. The Panthers 4th goal came off the stick of Kyle Brown after he stole the puck off a Wolves' attacker in the neutral zone and skated down the left side before sending a 45 foot shot into a vacated cage left there by Haydar for the extra attacker. With Haydar back between the pipes, the pesky Aleko Sdrakas turned a puck and moved it to Tanner Banks who put it past Haydar in the waning seconds and put an exclamation mark on the evening.
Denver Maloney was the lone marksman of the inital stanza when he scored at the 16:19 mark while on the power play on helpers from Logan Speirs and Payton Braun. And the Cats opened up a two-goal cushion when the VIJHL's top scoring line got into the action on a Riley Braun goal, just 1:37 into the middle stanza. Helpers on the goal were awarded to Payton Braun and Speirs. But the two-goal cushion was relatively short-lived when only 14 ticks later, Wolves Evan Loucks beat Ashton on a harmless looking shot, a play that Lukan would absolutely like to have another go at. It was the only mistake that the netminder made all night long after shaking off the miscue and giving the Cats a quality outing. At the 7:58 mark, it would be Payton Braun who would hit the scoresheet once again to give his side the two-goal margin again, this time with assists going to his brother Riley and defenceman Matt Seale. The 2nd period would end with the home side up 3-1 and would set the stage for the two late 3rd period insurance markers and the win.
General Manager Pete Zubersky was clearly happy that his Club came out on top after 60 minutes but felt they could still be better. "There were some little things that need improving on but after saying that, I thought our guys came out and played well this evening. We have been resting some of our players over the past four Regular Season games but I did not think we showed any rust this evening. We chose to rest complete lines so as not to lose any chemistry going into the playoffs. I thought that we came close but did not play 60 minutes tonight. The first three minutes of the 3rd period had a lot to be desired and that lack of intensity was visible from all four lines. We woke up after that and got it going again, but that can't happen. A lot of that has to be on me. I talked to them in the second intermission and obviously I did not get that message across. Hopefully it was a lesson for all 25 of our guys and for me as well. We have to be better."
The series now moves to the Q Centre Wednesday night in Colwood with the game set for 7:00 pm. And the series will the be back at the Panorama Recreation Centre on Friday night for Game 3. You have to win one to win two. The Panthers did that Tuesday night.
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