Silas Currie did just about everything he could to will his Peninsula Panthers across the finish line in Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League action Friday night in the confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre.
The standout netminder who hails from Medicine Hat, Alberta was almost perfect in 58 minutes of play, his only blemish was a Westshore Wolves marker by Sam Mollot on a one-timer while on the power play with just two minutes remaining in the first stanza.
Mollot blasted the puck from the top of the circle in the Panthers end, but the disk did not come off his stick clean. It speedily knuckled high on Currie, beating him cleanly. Both teams exchanged chance after chance and although Currie was unbeatable the rest of the way, Wolves starter Graham Brown proved to be one shot better, stopping all 31 shots directed his way. The Cats pulled Currie for the extra attacker in a last-gasp effort for the equalizer, but the Wolves turned the tables, scoring two times into the vacated cage for a 3-1 win.
“Currie has been the best goaltender in the VIJHL this season, hands-down,” said Panthers owner Pete Zubersky. “He has been remarkable in that he is only 18 years old and yet has been as consistent as any goalie who has rolled through our organization in the last decade or more. These guys are kids. He is living away from home and I am sure there are a lot of ups and downs at the rink and in his personal life. But he shows up every single game and gives us the same quality of start each time. He puts us in a position to win every night and we could not ask for more.”
The Panthers will have to solve their lack of significant offence as the regular season hit the midway point after the game. But there is no panic from Zubersky.
“We are still looking for our identity in my mind and we need to nail that down in the next 15 games as we approach the postseason. We have goaltending and we are keeping the opponent from scoring better than any team in the league. We will need to play even tighter defensively and manage the puck better in all three zones. The playoffs bring a tighter brand of hockey and I think this will play well for our club moving forward.”
The Panthers are back at home this Friday night when the Port Alberni Bombers will arrive for a 7:30 p.m. start.
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