The Nanaimo Buccaneers didn't give the opposition any chance at a comeback.
The city's Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League team defeated the Oceanside Generals 4-1 on Thursday night at the Nanaimo Ice Centre.
Up 3-1 going into the third period, the Bucs weren't content to merely sit on the lead - they continued to keep most of the action in the Generals' end of the ice until the game was over.
"You keep going and put the pressure on them instead of them shooting on us," said Jordan Levesque, who scored a hat trick. "We knew they could come back in the third easily so we just kind of put it back on them."
Daniel Foglietta had the Buccaneers' other goal, while Riel Gibson - who is from Nanaimo - scored for the Generals. Cameron Large made 26 saves for the win as his team outshot the visitors 39-27.
"I'm just really liking the way we're playing," said Brad Knight, Buccaneers coach. "We're finding ways to get loose pucks and we're getting the saves now that we never got earlier in the year and the back end seems to have levelled itself off."
The coach said it wasn't a pretty win, but he said one way or the other, his team is learning how to win games in the VIJHL. Nanaimo (10-10-1) has now won three straight.
"Everyone's feeling pretty good," said Levesque. "We're not overconfident or anything, but we know how we've got to play now and as long as we do that I think we'll be fine."
GAME ON ... The Buccaneers visit the Campbell River Storm (4-15-2) tomorrow (Nov. 16). Next home action is Thursday (Nov. 22) when the Bucs take on the Peninsula Panthers in a 7:15 p.m. faceoff at the NIC.