Grizzlies stave off elimination in playoffs
Don’t trot the golf clubs out just yet, the Victoria Grizzlies are still alive.
Down 2-0 with 5:40 remaining in the third period, the Grizzlies used goals from Dayne Finnson and Nathan Looysen to force overtime before Looysen played hero in a 3-2 win over the Chilliwack Chiefs in front of 2,772 stunned fans at Prospera Centre on Friday night.
Chilliwack still leads the best-of-seven B.C. Hockey League semifinal series 3-2 with Game 6 tonight at 7 at The Q Centre. Should a Game 7 be required, it will go Monday in Chilliwack.
Looysen had not scored a single goal in the post-season, but now has three in the last two games, including the winner at 3:29 of OT.
“He’s a goalscorer. They go through stages where they’re hot and cold. For the first two series he struggled a bit offensively, but he was such a great teammate through it all and aleader. Now he’s got his confidence back and that’s why he’s here, to score goals like that,” said Grizzlies general manager and head coach Craig Didmon.
“We wanted to live to see another day and now were excited about a packed barn in The Q [tonight].”
It started badly for Victoria. Jordan Kawaguchi continued to be the thorn in the Grizzlies’ paws, scoring his fifth goal to go with seven assists in the five games. His power-play effort at 7:53 of the first period got the Chiefs going. Will Calverley also scored off a semi-breakaway on a turnover early in the second period for Chilliwack.
Finnson finally got Victoria on the scoreboard at 14:20 of the third period and Looysen tied it with just his second goal of the post-season at 17:08. The Chiefs got caught sitting back and were outshot 30-27. They started by out-shooting Victoria 14-5 in the opening 20 minutes and then proceeded to play cautiously, which is always costly.
Victoria welcomed back T.J. Friedmann to the lineup, but were still without starting netminder Matthew Galajda, forward Cam Thompson and defenceman Drayson Pears, all out with concussions. Pears could be back tonight.
Tony Rehm made his first playoff start in goal for the Grizzlies and made 25 saves. Mark Sinclair stopped 27 shots for the Chiefs, who are a perfect 7-0 on the road in the playoffs, while the Grizzlies are just 4-5 at home.