The Bucs got better as the night went on and turned a tight tie game into a solid win.
The Nanaimo Buccaneers defeated the Comox Valley Glacier Kings 4-1 on Thursday at the Nanaimo Ice Centre.
The contest was 1-1 after one period and remained that way until early in the third, when Chad Bell scored on a two-on-one rush and then Trent Bell got a puck through traffic on a power play two minutes later.
“Between the second and third, the guys concentrated and made sure we keep going and we started really good in the third and that, I think, is [why] we won,” said Danny Pion, who had two assists.
Dan Lemmon, Buccaneers coach, said his team got key saves and some puck luck, but also outworked the Glacier Kings over the final two periods. He liked how his team was able to find ways to score against Comox’s netminder.
“A goalie like that, you’ve got to get in his face, cause some havoc around him and I thought we did a good job of that today and buried a couple when we needed to,” Lemmon said.
The visitors got on the board first with a goal from Finn Withey, and then Nanaimo’s Clayton Peace replied to tie the score. After Chad Bell and Trent Bell’s goals, Dawson Heathcote fired in an empty-netter from long range.
Bucs goaltender John Hawthorne, who is the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League’s Player of the Week, kept up his winning ways, making 34 saves as his team was outshot 35-29.
Nanaimo has now won five of its last seven games.
“And we’ve been playing against good teams, too; it’s not like we’ve been winning against slouches…” Lemmon said. “We’re playing really good hockey right now and you can feel the confidence in the room.”
Next up is a game Friday (Oct. 28) on the road against the division-leading Campbell River Storm.
“When we play together, play physical, we can beat the best teams and tomorrow is a big challenge too, so hopefully we’re going to be ready,” Pion said.
GAME ON … The Bucs and Storm face off Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell River’s Rod Brind’Amour Arena. Next home action for the Buccaneers is Thursday (Nov. 3) when they host the Oceanside Generals at 7:15 p.m. at the NIC.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com
Nanaimo Buccaneers score three third-period goals to beat Comox Valley Glacier Kings, 4-1. Working on an article right now… pic.twitter.com/TXqUt2nN2F
— Greg Sakaki (@BulletinSports) October 28, 2016