Panthers edge Wolves in game with playoff implications

The newest member of the Peninsula Panthers certainly knew that the game on Friday evening was not just one game in a 48-game schedule but was an affair that had some serious playoff implications.  Josh Round was given the start by new Head Coach Brian Passmore and although it took a full 60 minutes for Round to prove his worth, in the end his stellar netminding was a difference maker for the Panthers as they collectively eked out a 4-3 win over the visiting Westshore Wolves.  And with the win the Panthers once again pulled into a third place tie with the Wolves in the tough Southern Division of the VIJHL.

The Panthers showed a ton of jump in the first frame but it was a bit of puck luck that started off the scoring parade when Daniel Welch threw a puck at the Wolves net from an impossible spot to score at the 3:45 mark.  The puck somehow bounced off a player or two and ended up behind a surprised Matt Chester who was minding the net for the Wolves on the evening.  The ice seemed a bit tilted in favor of the Panthers early on and they continually tested Chester while Round at the other end was sitting in a rocking chair with his feet up on the coffee table and his 60" TV tuned into his favorite channel.  But the Panthers ran into some penalty problems when Grayson Vickers took a minor for elbowing and only a couple minutes later the Panthers were caught with too many men on the ice.  The Wolves utilized the man-advantage opportunities to put some pressure on Round and it was speedy reargaurd Tim Quinn who drifted a long shot from the point that managed to elude the big Panthers netminder to knot the game at one each.

Silky smooth Wolves defenceman Chris McDonald gave the Wolves a 2-1 lead at the 6:28 mark of the 2nd period when he drifted down the right side and into the Panthers zone on a 2-on-1 chance.  McDonald made absolutely no mistake when he blasted a wrist shot past Round on the glove side.  But the Panthers red hot Cole Golka would tie the game five minutes later on a pretty play by Cody Breitenstein.  The big defenceman from Las Angelos wheeled down the right side on the powerplay and into the Wolves end.  He made a couple moves and then circled the Wolves net before moving the puck to Golka who was situated all along in front of Chester.  Golka made no mistake after getting a present from Breitenstein blasting a high shot past Chester, an opportunity that the goaltender had absolutely no chance stopping.  16-year-old Nathan Looysen picked up the second helper on the play.

The Panthers added two more power play goals in the 3rd period.  Josh Adkins gave the Club a 3-2 lead at the 11:49 mark on helpers from Patrick Croome and Spencer Loverock and then Cole Glover lit the lamp four minutes later with Adkins and Loverock adding assists.  It appeared that there was nothing left to do but pick the three stars but the Wolves had some other ideas.  Braedon Behan made the game close with Chester on the bench when he beat Round from in tight but that would close out the scoring with only 18 seconds left in the game.  The Panthers won the draw and moved the puck deep into the Wolves end but a couple quick passes put Wolves speedy winger Kyle Richter past the Panthers defenders as he motored down the left side and zoomed in on Round.  He took a shot which Round deflected to the corner and that would be all she wrote for the Wolves as the Panthers would prevail and pick up the all important two points.

For Passmore, it was his first win as a Head Coach in Junior Hockey and probably one he won't easily forget.  "This was almost a must win," explained Pete Zubersky.  Zubersky was filling in on the bench for Assistant Coach Ben King who could not make the game due to work commitments.  "Passmore did a great job on the bench this evening.  I watched him closely and he knows the kids and he knows the game.  I feel very comfortable with him at the helm.  He has some fire in his belly and this was an important game and I thought he handled his bench with ease.  I felt our kids deserved to win.  We made some mistakes but we worked hard and that is what I expect to see every single night.  The game was quite enjoyable" said Zuberksy.

With the win the Panthers and Wolves once again see themselves tied in the standings and this rivalry is turning into a real treat for the fans every time the two squads meet.  The teams each have 18 games left in the regular season and undoubtedly this battle for 3rd will go down to the final game.

The Panthers are right back at it on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 pm at the Panorama Recreation Complex when they host the visiting Saanich Braves.  The Panthers will be breaking out a 3rd jersey made specifically for Sunday's game and these jersey's will be gifted to 23 Peninsula Minor Hockey players in a ceremony which will take place on ice right after the final buzzer goes.  The biggest crowd of the season is expected and the Panthers Organization is urging people to arrive early for the affair.

Panthers Tracks....Chester stopped 29 of 33 shots directed his way, many that were point blank....Round blocked 19 of 22 including several great saves in the 3rd period....The three stars in order were Adkins, Round and Loverock....The Panthers power play has been anemic for the most part but it clicked for three goals on nine chances on the evening....The Panthers play a tough December schedule facing the Braves and Cougars several times.