Sept. 27th vs. Comox Valley Glacier Kings - Hockey Ops.

Hello Hockey Fans on the Peninsula!

Well here we go once again, our 4th home game and at this point we have not been beaten at the Panorama Recreation Centre with two wins and a tie in three trys.   As you recall, we waxed the Kerry Park Islanders on opening night and then beat the Westshore Wolves the following Friday before playing 70 minutes of hockey last Friday evening with a 3-3 draw as the outcome. There is lots of news but first I will start with the week that was.

Last Friday we held a 3-1 lead with about 11 minutes to go and then unexpectedly threw the two points out the window.  I watched as some of our first-year players decided to stay out on the ice too long rather than keep fresh troops out there and it cost our team one point.  We should have been able to hold on for the win but gave up two goals where our forwards simply did not have enough energy to come back and help, and this was the difference in the game.  There is always a lot to learn but the season is so young that there is plenty of time to straighten out little issues such as these.

I watched as Joey Karrer made his 2nd start of the young season and blocked 32 of 35 shots helping the Club to pick up the single point.  Joey won his first game of the season the previous Friday however, I thought he could have been much better as he let a couple goals in near the end of the 1st frame that I am sure he would have liked back.  But he hung on for the win and that is what it is all about. Last Friday Joey looked solid all night long, I was very impressed with his effort and with the result.  This 18-year-old played Midget in Smithers last season so there is a whole bunch going on with the young fellow.  This is probably the first time he has been away from home on a protracted basis and also his first crack at playing Junior Hockey, but he is starting to fit right in.  I believe he will probably get stronger as the season winds along but although I would not consider him "lights out" last Friday, he did show me that he could be an excellent Junior goaltender in the near future.

On Saturday evening the team met at the Howard Johnson at Royal Oak around 1:00 pm and then the bus started to wind up the Island Hwy. headed for Comox for a 7:30 pm start against the Glacier Kings. The bus lumbered into Parksville and made a 30 minute stop there as the boys each chewed on a 12-inch sub at the Parksville Subway.  It was then back onto the bus and on to Comox but most of the team did not get the memo when the first puck would be dropped. They collectively played a horrible 1st period and were down 2-1 going into the dressing room. From our starter not looking sharp to the defence to the forwards, sluggish would have been polite. Head Coach/General Manager Brian Passmore was not happy nor had any reason to be anything but choked - so choked in fact that he did not even go into the dressing room to speak to the team. Well, the no-move was the pro-move and the team came flying out of the chute in the 2nd and scored five unanswered goals. And it continued in the 3rd when they scored 3 more unanswered markers walking away with a 9-2 win. Brian commented, "That last 40 minutes was the way we need to play hockey, the way we should play hockey." He was thrilled with the way the kids moved the puck and were unselfish, it was an important and a really nice team win.  It was also nice to see the group explode for nine goals, that certainly did not hurt.

And then on Thursday we travelled to the Archie Browning to take on the Victoria Cougars for the 2nd time in this early season, both in Esquimalt. As you might remember, we played them the 2nd game into the season and lost in double overtime by a 6-5 score.  It did not go as we had hoped but I suppose when the season is early you always look and see the glass half full rather than half empty.  On the half empty view, the Cougars were ready to go out of the chute but were slowed when they took a charging penalty five minutes into the game.  Reece Costain got the puck low beside the Cougars net and slipped the puck across to Spencer Loverock who had pinched down into the low slot and he hit the empty net giving us a 1-0 lead.  For the rest of the period it was pretty well all Cougars and they lead 2-1 until big Sean Buchanan came down the ice, split two Cougars D-men and then roofed a shot that hit nothing but net.

n the 2nd, the Cougars scored four unanswered goals and were full value for a 6-2 lead at the end of the period. It would have been easy for our Club to lay down and hope for better things next time around, but Spencer Loverock blasted a slap shot from the point and then Tate Couglin and Reece Costain each scored before the final stanza had reached the 10:00 minute mark and it was 6-5 and game on.  But it was not to be and when the puck squirted down the ice and slid faster than Cody Breitenstein could skate, it hit the open net which was vacated for the extra attacker and that is all she wrote.  After watching the game I am feeling OK about everything and see that we still have a long way to go however, we have a huge upside once we figure it out.  I watched young kids like Nick Kean, Braedan Pearce, Sean Buchanan and Adam Page and know that they can bring a more physical element to their game.  I also know that when they do, they will be even better players than they are now and as a result our team will be better.   Grayson Vickers is a 20-year-old that needs to be more physical as well.  He has been in the League for 3 years now and in his final year he can be an impact player if he gets more of an edge.

We have a big team this year, the biggest that I have ever been involved with both in Junior A and Junior B.  Brett Sjerven is our smallest D and he is 6' and almost 190 lbs.  These kids have not yet filled out however, our D right now is taller than most D in Professional Hockey.  Our forwards are big, and if we play our size and play with discipline we would be an absolute nightmare to play against.  We can skate and pass, yes I do see our cup as half full even after the loss last night.

Jordie Davis handled the game in stripes and really did a fine job.  This young fellow has developed into one of the finest stripes in the VIJHL.  I have been tough on refs in the past however, I have always felt I have been fair.  I was standing with a couple friends last night watching the game and I commented on Davis.  When I see him skate out onto the ice to drop the puck I know that the game will be called fairly and I know that it will have flow.  Although we came out on the wrong side of the scoreboard, the stripes were consistent and solid for the entire 60 minutes.  There are three teams out there for every game and I thought that last night all three teams put in a solid effort.

I spoke with Brandon Story last night after the game and he is feeling better after being out of the lineup for two full weeks.  Brandon started light skating yesterday and I think we will see him back in the lineup in a week or ten days. Brett Sjerven is still out but feeling better, as is Iver Oedegaard. 
 
Called up last night was the diminutive Koby Hale, a 16-year-old from the Peninsula Minor Hockey Association.  Watch for him tonight, he is an energy player and he will be on this squad next season.  Koby currently plays for the Peninsula Midget ‘AA’ squad and has been a lifelong fan of the Peninsula Panthers.

I see some of the seats are in, the rest will be in on Monday and Tuesday.  Coreen has been working a ton of hours over the past few weeks and today she sent our yearly program to the printer and we are hoping to have it back next Friday night’s game.  OK then, we are just about ready to get this game going against the Glacier Kings and we would love to get the two points this evening.  Thanks for coming out tonight....enjoy!   Pete Z.