The Peninsula Panthers suffered their first regulation loss of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey (VIJHL) Sunday as they lost 3-2 on the road against the Campbell River Storm.
The Panthers had entered Sunday’s contest with a record of 11 wins, one overtime loss and one shoot-out loss, having won their first eight games in a row.
“We’ve been on a fantastic run, there’s no doubt about it,” said Pete Zubersky, owner and general manager. “This was our first regulation time loss and it took everything Campbell River had on Sunday afternoon. We will get at least four of our injured veterans back next Friday against Kerry Park and we are looking at getting right back in the win column and starting another special run.”
Sunday’s game saw the Panthers trail 1-0 after the first period and 2-1 after the second period. The hosts gave themselves a two-goal cushion when they scored halfway through the third period, whose frantic final 86 seconds saw five penalties with four against Campbell River. They included three concurrent penalties against the Storm’s Denis Frank — one five-minute major penalty for cross-checking and two game-misconduct penalties, including one for harassing officials.
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Tanner Banks’ ninth goal of the season pulled the Panthers within one goal with 20 seconds left, but the hosts held on for the game, which saw the Panthers play without a goalie for three minutes and 15 seconds.
Sunday’s intense contest against the second-best team in the North Division came after the Panthers had defeated the last-placed team from that division — the Nanaimo Buccaneers — by a score of 4-1, perhaps a flattering result for the visitors, far the worst team in VIJHL, with three points and one win to their name.
Zubersky said Friday night’s game was nothing to write home about. “I thought our guys did not play the right way and going into the third period, we were tied up at 1-1 with a real possibility of losing that game,” said Zubersky. “But in the third period we finally had some net traffic and generated some scoring opportunities and eventually put three pucks in to go home with the win.” Ryan Grambart scored his 12th and 13th goals of the season, while Ethan Warnes and Ethan Crawford scored their respective first goals of the season in the victory.
The Panthers round out their October schedule with a home game Friday night at the Panorama Recreation Centre against the Kerry Park Islanders with the puck set to drop at 7:30 p.m.
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