Good teams take care of business at both ends of the rink – shooting and scoring lots in the offensive zone while limiting shots and goals in the defensive zone.
That’s what the Comox Valley Glacier Kings have gleaned from their last two Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League games as they suffered lopsided losses to the top team in both the North Division and South Division.
After being outshot 39-14 and losing 7-0 to the Campbell River Storm on Jan. 31, the Yetis were outshot 40-15 and fell 8-2 to the Victoria Cougars on Feb. 5.
Thursday night in Victoria, the Icemen trailed 2-0 after one period and 4-1 after two. Liam Shaw and Dylan Sampson scored for the G-Kings.
Liam Young started in net for the Yetis but was pulled after giving up four goals on 13 shots. Matt Henwood stopped 23 of 27 shots in his 27:43 minutes of play. The backup was one of three affiliate players in the Glacier Kings’ lineup.
The Cougars swept the three star awards, with Sam McMullen (2g, 3a) first star, Michael Fretz (1g, 3a) second star and Ryan Vorster (2a) third star.
The loss left the Glacier Kings (21-16-1-5) in third place in the North Division, one point back of the Nanaimo Buccaneers (21-17-3-4) but with two games in hand. The Kerry Park Islanders did the Glacier Kings a favour on Thursday by knocking off Nanaimo 3-2.
The Yetis host the Bucs in a big four-pointer Saturday at Sports Centre #1, with game time 7:30 p.m.
The game will feature an appearance by the spandex-clad Green Men, who are on a 10-city farewell tour for charity. Sully (Ryan Sullivan) and Force (Adam Forsythe) are renowned for tormenting opposing players at Vancouver Canucks’ home games.
Through photo-ops and autograph signings, they are raising money for kidney cancer research at the Canadian Cancer Society. Sullivan lost his grandfather to kidney cancer 10 years ago.
After five years of outrageous stunts and much media coverage, the duo decided to hang up their green spandex suits. “B.C. hockey fans built this. It’s only fitting we get to end it together,” Sullivan said.
