Panthers #20 Tylor Branzsen battles Comox defenceman Taylor Derynck for the puck while Glacier Kings Goaltender Michael Hails and Panthers sniper #15 Alex Milligan look on. Milligan scored three goals on the night to lead all point-getters in a 4-2 Panthers win.
In what was as close to a must-win situation as one can imagine, the Peninsula Panthers found another gear on Monday night and downed the Comox Valley Glacier Kings by a count of 4-2 to even their series at 2-2.
The Peninsula Panther ensured that there will be a Game 6 this Friday evening at the Panorama Recreation Centre after putting down a determined Comox Valley Glacier Kings squad by a 4-2 count at home on Monday night. And with the win the Panthers squared their series with the North Island foes at two games apiece and set the stage for a critical game 5 slated to go in Comox on Wednesday night. Game 7 if required will be back in Comox Saturday evening.
The Panthers stormed out of the gate in front of a sizeable and intense local crowd when Alex Milligan sent a lazer past a shocked Michael Hails tending goal for the Glacier Kings. And Milligan added his 2nd marker of the game at the 11:10 mark when he wired one to the top half of the cage over a sprawled out Hails. But the scoring was not quite over yet. At 16:05 Zack Smith coralled the puck in at the 16:05 mark and ripped one past the glove side on Hails and his goal would prove to be the winner. But the period was marred with an ugly incident with 32 seconds remaining. Glacier Kings Eric Margo ran Panthers defenceman Sean Buchanan into the end wall on a check that appeared to be from behind however was only whistled for a boarding on the play. Buchanan stayed down for several minutes and exited the game at this point. He did return for the 2nd period.
After serving his minor penalty Margo jumped from the sin bin and as luck would have it, stripped Buchanan from the puck near the Comox blueline. Margo raced the length of the ice and deftly beat Panthers starter Joey Karrer who was making his first start between the pipes this post-season. The game was fast paced and each Club had chances but both Karrer and Hails were better and the score remained 3-1 after two frames had been played.
The third period was 20 minutes of frantic action and at the 12:25 mark Ali Gotmy came out of the corner and the puck was directed to Karrer from behind the goalline. It rolled and tumbled up and then down his arm and finally came to rest just several inches inside the Panthers cage but enough to put the Glacier Kings within a goal. The visitors pulled Hails with just over a minute remaining on the clock and although there were some tense moments, the suspense all ended when Milligan raced away from the pack and skated from end to end scoring on a breakaway into a net that had no goalie. The goal set off a party on the ice and in the stands and sealed a date this Friday night at the Panorama Recreation Centre where Game 6 of this series will most definately be played.
Karrer stopped 23 of 25 shots directed his way and was named the games 1st star while Hails in the other end was good on 35 of 38 attempts. Milligan was selected as the contest's 2nd star while Rylan Ball who skated miles and notched two assists skated out when introduced as the 3rd star.
"Tonight was just about as important as Game 7," explained Head Coach Brian Passmore. "We really had to come out of this one with a win or the hill to climb would have been huge. Our kids knew it and they responded. This is a great series, it really is."
With game 5 set for Comox on Wednesday and game 6 back at the Panorama on Friday most betting folks believe that there just might be a 7th game in this series. And if there is it will take place right back in Comox on Saturday night.
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