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 …