After a couple of tough losses the week before, the Kerry Park Islanders turned things around and collected three out of four possible points last weekend.
The Isles were edged 3-2 by the Oceanside Generals on Friday, then earned their first shutout win of the year by beating the Peninsula Panthers 4-0 at home on Saturday.
“We played OK, not great,” Islanders owner Mark Osmond said of the Friday game. “I think our players were thinking we’d be an easier team to play, but they were far from that. I was impressed with Oceanside. They hustled the puck and finished their checks.”
All in all, Osmond still thought his team should have beaten their hosts.
“We could have upped our game a bit,” he said. “[Oceanside] did, in the third period. We’ve got to put in more effort if we want to beat them.”
Jarret Malloch and Keenan Eddy had powerplay goals for Kerry Park as the teams each scored twice in the first period. That was all the scoring until the Generals struck again at 1:56 of the second overtime. Chase Anderson stopped 45 of 48 shots in the Islanders net.
Anderson stopped all 37 shots he faced the next night for his first shutout since he recorded two in the 2015-16 season.
“It was a closer game than 4-0, I feel,” Osmond said. “They hit a couple crossbars and a post, and Chase made some good saves.”
After a scoreless first period, Kayden Peck and Jacob McQuillin scored in the second. Peck and Brad Bagnall scored in the third, with Peck recording his third point of the night with an assist on Bagnall’s marker.
Osmond never felt completely comfortable that his team was going to beat Peninsula.
“Much like Oceanside, they have a lot of young guys who don’t give up,” he said. “You have to play 60 minutes a night against these teams, or they’ll surprise you and beat you.”
The Isles are dealing with a few key injuries right now. Braydon Nelson, Scott Smith and Brandon McClintick are missing from the forward corps, and blueliners Connor Bissett and Patrick Keon are also sidelined. The team has also shipped defenceman Griffin Abbott to the Mission City Outlaws of the PIJHL. The Kerry Park defence will have to tighten things up in their absence. Also out temporarily is goalie J.J. Pichette.
The Isles will play in Saanich this Friday, then play at home against Campbell River on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Kevin
