Reader's note: This is an updated version of a previously posted story.
It wasn’t so long ago that the Victoria Grizzlies were hard pressed to come away with anything close to a .500 mark on a multi-game road trip.
While their record away from The Q Centre is still not stellar (8-12-1-0), the B.C. Hockey League team continues to improve on its road performance. Last weekend the club chalked up a pair of wins, 7-2 Sunday in Surrey against the Eagles, and 4-2 in Prince George on Friday against the Spruce Kings.
The Grizzlies, 5-1 in their last six away games and winners of five straight overall, might have emerged from the weekend 6-1 in their last seven had Saturday’s game in Chilliwack not been postponed. The team bus was detoured on Highway 97 due to an accident near Boston Bar. As well, the bus ran into tire problems that had to be addressed. The game will be rescheduled.
Joseph Visconti had his best game of the season Sunday, scoring twice and setting up two more goals to almost double his point total. He now has five goals and four assists.
The Grizzlies built period leads of 3-0 and 5-0 before Surrey’s Brett Stewart got his team on the board 23 seconds into the third. Visconti, with his second of the game, and P.J. Conlon, with his 14th of the season, made it 7-1 by the 15:52 mark of the period.
Victoria defenceman Kevin Massy amassed a goal and three assists on the night to match Visconti’s output, while other goals came from Mitchell Barker, Dante Hahn and Tyler Welsh.
Grizzlies head coach Craig Didmon gave No. 1 netminder Matthew Galajda a much-deserved game off, allowing backup Mitchell Benson some playing time. Benson didn’t have a lot of work on the night, but kicked out 18 of 20 Eagles shots.
The Grizzlies road trip began with a hard-fought win over the Spruce Kings. Defenceman Cody Van Lierop scored the eventual winner with just under six minutes to play in the second period, breaking a 2-2 tie with a shot from the point that appeared to deflect off the stick of Kings winger Connor Logan. Cole Pickup and Massy got the assists.
Logan, a Victoria native and former Campbell River Storm junior B player, got his team on the board 2:25 into the second period, making it 1-1. Welsh had opened scoring with a goal from Pickup and Conlon about five minutes into the first.
The locals made it 2-1 with a power play goal from Chong Lee less than three minutes later, but Grizzlies defenceman Brett Stirling returned the favour at the 7:15 mark, scoring as Braiden Epp sat serving a roughing penalty. Stirling finished off a passing play from Van Lierop and Welsh.
With his team having kept the Kings at bay through the third, Barker scored an empty net goal from Stirling with 10 seconds to go.
Galajda made 27 saves for his and the team’s fourth straight win.
The Grizzlies are in the midst of almost a week off game time, returning to action this Saturday (Jan. 23, 7 p.m.) at The Q Centre against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
Bear tracks … Tickets are still available for the Grizzlies’ Jan. 27 exhibition game against Red Bull Salzburg under-20 team. A welcome luncheon featuring guest speaker John Grisdale, longtime commissioner of the BCHL, takes place at noon that day at the Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort and Spa. For $50, you’ll receive one seat to the luncheon and two tickets for the game. Visit the Grizzlies office in The Q Centre or the front desk of the Westin to purchase. For more information call 250-385-1555 or visit victoriagrizzlies.com.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com