Grizzlies’ February streak grows

The Victoria Grizzlies are really liking the month of February.

The Grizzlies pushed their win streak to five games Friday night with a 3-0 win over the Silverbacks at the Shaw Centre in Salmon Arm. Victoria (30-17-4-3) remains unbeaten at 5-0 in February and continues to lead the B.C. Hockey League’s Island Division by a single point over the Powell River Kings and Nanaimo Clippers, who were both winners as well on Friday.

The Grizzlies needed only Marty Westhaver on offence Friday, as the local product scored his first career BCHL hat trick, giving him 14 goals on the season.

Kurtis Chapman, filling in for the injured Zack Rose in the Grizzlies’ net, turned aside all 41 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season.

Westhaver opened the scoring four minutes into the second period with a high slapper from the wing. Midway through the second, he took a nice feed from Ryan Nolan while the Grizzlies were shorthanded and buried one from in close to put the dagger in the Silverbacks (23-26-3-1), who came into the game 8-2 in their last 10 contests. Westhaver finished the scoring with an emptynet goal in the dying seconds.

The Grizzlies now head to West Kelowna to take on the Warriors tonight. They’ll finish the Interior swing with a Sunday afternoon game in Merritt against the Centennials.