Panthers end Comox Glacier Kings 8-game winning streak

There was not a whole bunch of investigation to get to the bottom of the Peninsula Panthers exciting 1-0 win over Comox Valley Glacier Kings in Comox on Saturday evening.  17-year-old Stephen Heslop made the start for the Panthers and blocked all 30 shots directed his way in collecting the shutout win.  And 18-year-old Cody Allison scored the games lone goal on an assist from 16-year-old Connor Logan at 13:05 of the 2nd period, beating the Glacier Kings netminder Josh Round in the process.  That is the end of stats story but not the whole story.

The Panthers headed up to Comox on Saturday afternoon and were clearly an underdog in the game which was scheduled for Saturday evening at 7:30 pm.  The Glacier Kings had a rough start to the season which included a 4-2 loss to the Panthers on September 14th but in the past four weeks the Comox squad have been on fire and were the hottest team in the VIJHL having won their eight previous games.  The Panthers on the other hand struggled to get past the Oceanside Generals on Friday evening and knew that a workmanlike effort would be required against the Glacier Kings in their barn.  And that is exactly what Head Coach Rob Armstrong received from his team. 

"Winning feels good.  The boys worked hard." said Armstrong who was contacted on the team bus as it wound it's way down the Island Highway after the big win last night.  "Cody Allison scored the game winning goal from a Connor Logan pass from behind the net and that was it.  Dane Gibson was on fire, he played with speed and conviction and created great opportunities for his linemates all night long.  Stephen Heslop moved the puck all night long and made huge key saves when Comox had the momentum."  An obviously pleased Armstrong continued without prompting, "I'm really proud of the guys' relentless puck pursuit and how they managed the puck under pressure.  They're having a good laugh at the back of the bus, a true team is being formed!"

The three stars in order were Heslop, Round and Allison.  With the win, the club moves two games over .500 and now support a 7-5 win/loss record and into a 3rd place tie with the Westshore Wolves with a game in hand.  It is the first time the hard working squad has won two in a row and the brass is hoping that this is a sign of things to come.

The Panthers will travel to Nanaimo on Thursday evening and will play back at the Panorama Recreation Centre on Friday night with the puck set to drop at 7:30 pm