The Nanaimo Buccaneers got pushed to overtime and then double overtime, but found a way to win again.
The city’s Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League team defeated the Peninsula Panthers 5-4 on Thursday night at the Nanaimo Ice Centre.
Lucas Patton scored the game-winning goal to continue the Bucs’ streak of winning every game on the ice so far in 2018-19.
“I saw [teammate Billy Walters] kind of winning a battle on the side boards there and I saw two guys commit to him and I saw open ice in front of me and just as I started moving, he won the battle and popped it out front,” Patton said.
The defenceman roofed a backhand just before being tripped up, and the Bucs could celebrate the OT win.
“Four-on-four, we play it pretty simply, D have the forwards, forwards have the D, that’s how we play it and D jump in when you see it, especially three-on-three,” Patton said. “Everyone’s a forward three-on-three so everybody’s got to be prepared.”
The Panthers, though they have just one win so far this season, played the Buccaneers tough.
“That was a good team over there and they’re going to get better as the season progresses, but so are we, and we’re just going to keep chipping away at the teams here,” Patton said.
Josh Zary scored two goals and Evan Pattison and Riley Gannon were other scorers for Nanaimo. Cedric LeSieur made 29 saves as shots ended up 33-33.
GAME ON … The Buccaneers visit the Campbell River Storm on Friday, Sept. 28. Next home action is Thursday, Oct. 4, when the Saanich Braves visit the NIC for a 7:15 p.m. faceoff.
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