Nanaimo Buccaneers defenceman Jackson Robinson, front left, checks Comox Valley Glacier Kings opponent Justin Mirabelli during Thursday's VIJHL playoff game at the Nanaimo Ice Centre. The home team won 3-2 in overtime.

Nanaimo Buccaneers defenceman Jackson Robinson, front left, checks Comox Valley Glacier Kings opponent Justin Mirabelli during Thursday's VIJHL playoff game at the Nanaimo Ice Centre. The home team won 3-2 in overtime.

Glacier Kings trail Buccaneers 3-0 in VIJHL playoff series

Yetis must win Tuesday night at home to prolong their post season

The Comox Valley Glacier Kings are hoping the score in the third game of their quarter-final playoff series with the Nanaimo Buccaneers is not a foreshadowing of how the series will finish.

The Bucs blanked the Yetis 4-0 Saturday night in Courtenay to take a 3-0 stranglehold lead in the the best-of-seven Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League series.

The Icemen will be looking to avoid being swept from post-season play tonight when they host Nanaimo in a 7 p.m. start at Comox Valley Sports Centre Arena #1.

On Feb. 27 at SC#1, the Bucs opened a 2-0 lead in the first period then tacked on one more in each of the next two frames. The G-Kings out-shot the Bucs 29-28, with Nanaimo goalie Alex Orth earning first star honours. Marcus Gloss took the loss.

Nanaimo went 1-for-6 on the power play and tallied a shorthanded goal while the Icemen went 0-for-6 with the man advantage. Tempers ran high in the third period, with both teams sending a steady parade of players to the sin bin.

The Buccaneers went up 2-0 in the series Feb. 25 in Nanaimo when they edged the Icemen 3-2 in overtime. Will Koop netted the winner at 4:52 of the first OT on the power play.

Working overtime was Comox Valley goalie Gloss as Nanaimo out-shot Comox Valley 40-25. He earned third star honours for his efforts.

After a scoreless first period in which Nanaimo out-shot the visitors 16-6, the Bucs went up 2-0 early in the second only to have the G-Kings pull event late in the frame on goals by Nick Novin and Brayden McCartney.

But McCartney took a tripping penalty at 4:12 of OT, and Koop batted in a rebound to give the Bucs the win.

If the G-Kings win tonight, Game 5 would go Thursday, March 3 in Nanaimo. Other games if needed would be March 5 in Courtenay (7:30 p.m. SC#1) and March 6 in Nanaimo.

ICE CHIPS Heading into Sunday, other first-round series had Campbell River Storm leading Saanich Brave 2-1, Victoria Cougars up 2-0 on Kerry Park Islanders and Peninsula Panthers leading Westshore Wolves 2-1 …

 

 

 

 

Comox Valley Record