Panthers drop Must-Win Game 6 and are sent packing

March 10, 2023
Panorama Recreation Centre
North Saanich, British Columbia

The Peninsula Panthers had their backs to the wall in the playoffs for the first time in a few years going into Friday's affair against the Saanich Predators however judging by the room minutes before the puck was set to drop, you would have thought they had been down this path many times.  Last season the Club swept through the VIJHL playoffs enroute to a Championship winning all three series in six games.  The year prior had no game or playoffs due to Covid and the year before that had the playoffs come to a sudden halt when the Panthers were heavily involved in a Round 2 series against the Victoria Cougars.  In mid-March of that season, Hockey Canada shut down all hockey activities in Canada.  But tonight the stage was set.  The Predators led the best-of-7 series by a 3-2 margin and their was no room for a mis-step by the Peninsula Panthers.  It was a must-win game and certainly a new experience. 

The group was loose and confident and excited about the challenge which lied dead ahead.  And they did everything in the game as it unfolded except for beating Preds goaltender Dryden Demelo.  Trailing 2-0 late in the contest, Panthers Bench Boss Pete Zubersky pulled goaltender Mason Kelly for the extra attacker but when Predators forward Mathiew Ouelette skated the length of the ice and popped the disk into the yawning cage with only 1:30 left in the game, everyone who had gathered at the Panorama Recreation Centre knew the game and heart-stopping series had come to a dramatic end.

The Panthers opened strong pelting Demelo with shot after shot but at the 11:50 mark, Predators scored a goal against the flow of play to put his side up by the single marker after 20 minutes.  There were outstanding chances by both teams in the middle frame but goaltending proved to win the day and the score held at 1-0 heading into the final stanza.  Jack Westhaver, who scored the biggest goal in the series to bring the Predators back from the brink in Game 3, put another dagger in the Panthers heart when he beat Kelly at the 11:17 mark of the 3rd period to double the visitors lead to 2-0.  The Panthers pressed but could not crack the goose egg; there was no further scoring after the empty net tally.

"We really came out firing on all cylinders but just could not find a way to put the puck in the net.  If you told me after that game that we had scored 7 or 8 goals, I could have believed it," explained Zubersky. "We missed two tap-in goals from 12 inches out. We had four breakaways. We had at least five opportunities to hit an open net where we fanned on the shot.  And we had another five from the slot that we did not convert.  I really tip my had to Demelo and thought he was the difference in this series.  The Predators have a great group in that other dressing room and our Organization wish them good luck and good health in the 2nd Round and beyond."


Panthers #9, 16-year-old Defenceman Seth Fryer gathers in a puck in 2nd period action Friday night.  Fryer has played a number of games with the WHL's Victoria Royals and now will join that squad for the remainder of their Regular Season.

The Panthers will take the weekend off before having one last practice Monday night at which time they will gift the six 20's their jerseys and name their Top Playoff Performer. 

Panthers tracks...Panthers outshot the Predators 33-27...Captain Matt Seale was named Player of the Game for the Panthers while Demelo collected the honour for his side...Zubersky will put out his annual "Open Letter" in the next ten days discussing the past season and the future....Panthers Identification Camp is slated for April 7-10....