The Comox Valley Glacier travelled to Victoria to take on one of the best teams in the VIJHL and gave the Cougars everything they could handle until finally dropping a 2-0 decision to the league’s second most potent offence. The game had a little bit of everything… great goaltending on both sides, a fight, a disallowed goal and a big missed opportunity at the end. All in all, I think the Glacier Kings can be proud of their performance but disappointed with their result.

Midway into the first period, Quinten Harvie had a glorious chance on Comox Valley’s first PP as he took a back door pass at the side of the net from Rolan Amin but was robbed by goaltender Finn Wilson. That power play netted a bunch of great chances but they couldn’t beat Wilson. Shortly after Cohen Kallin made a nifty pass to put Westin Churchill on a breakaway but was once again stoned by the home team’s netminder. The period would end scoreless. Shots were 7 apiece.

The second period had a few chances but was mostly a defensive frame which was an advantage for Comox who likes that style of play. With less than a minute left, Joseph Melichar kneed Tee Hagel right in front of the referee and it wasn’t called so defenceman Brandon Taylor took matters into his own hands and went after Melichar.

This is the knee right in front of the ref…

Then Brandon Taylor looked at the referee with his hand up asking if he’s going to call it…

Since there was no call, Taylor went after Melichar and the 2 squared off…

The whole incident should have been avoided by the referee making a call. And wouldn’t you know it the Glacier Kings took a penalty just 12 seconds later. The game remained 0-0 heading into the third with Victoria on the power play. Shots were 8-6 for Comox in that period.

In the 3rd, Comox killed off the remainder of the penalty and would accomplish the same feat when they took another one just 46 seconds after they were finally at full strength. Thanks to some wonderful saves by Lane Maarhuis, the contest was still at goose eggs. However a third penalty would do them in. Grady Slugget carried the puck to the right faceoff dot and quickly slid it across to the opposite circle where Joseph Melichar wristed it short-side on Maarhuis. That made it 1-0. The Yeti would get a power play shortly after. They won the faceoff and had several chances as the puck didn’t leave the zone but unfortunately the goaliekicked the net off its pegs really hard to stop play.

The posts are as secure at the Archie Browning Arena as they are at the Comox Valley Sports Centre unfortunately. The Glacier Kings pulled their goalie late and appeared to tie the game when Leon Mikhalchuk beat Wilson but it was waved off for goaltender interference. I looked this one over about a dozen times. Sheldon Alexander was line up along the boards. Comox won the faceoff and he headed straight for the net. Alexander stopped and tried to lean back into defenceman Jacob Bernardo. However Bernardo side-stepped him and Alexander lost his balance and his momentum was taking him into the goaltender. Bernardo gave him the slightest shove with the stick but it appeared that Alexander was going into the goalie regardless. Tough bang-bang play for the official as Wilson did get up just as the shot took place. I hate to say it but probably a good call. This photo is just as Alexander is falling on his own…

And this is a shot, just as the puck crosses the line…

The 4 officials got together at center and decided to stay with the call on the ice and placed the faceoff outside the blue line. The Glacier Kings pulled their goalie again and looked to have a sure goal when Alexander fed a terrific cross-ice pass to Rolan Amin who had a wide open net and shot it in between the goaltender and the front of the net.

You can see him on the right side of the picture put both hands up to his head in disbelief. The Cougars would ice the game when Tyler Delli-Carri scored an empty net goal.

What a tough way for the game to end as it looked like Comox tied it up on 2 separate occasions. Shots ended were 14-4 for Victoria in the final 20 minutes.

The loss drops the Glacier Kings record to 18-15-4-1, still in 3rd place, 8 points behind Nanaimo and 2 points ahead of Campbell River. The Cougars improve to 25-8-3-0, also in 3rd place, just 1 point behind Westshore. Comox next travels to Oceanside to take on the first place Generals. Victoria is off until Sunday when they host Kerry Park.

Other Observations:

• The Cougars first goal was unfortunate because while shorthanded, GKings d-man Gavin Mowat broke his stick. Quinten Harvie tried to hand him his twig during play but missed so it was basically 5 against 3.5 players. Mowat was without a stick in the defensive zone for 32 seconds which was when the goal was scored.
• Joseph Malichar’s goal extended his goal streak to 6 consecutive games with at least 1 goal (has 9G, 5A in those 6 games).
• Melichar has a 13 point lead in the scoring race and has actually played in 2 less games than the players tied for 2nd.
• First start in net for Lane Maarhuis for Comox after being acquired from Victoria just a couple days prior and he was outstanding.
• It was also goaltender Finn Wilson’s first appearance for the Cougars since coming from the Greater Ontario Hockey League and he registered a shutout.
• This is the second time this season the Glacier Kings have been shutout. (Sep. 12-25 @Saanich)
• The Cougars are now a perfect 4-0 in January.
• Good flow in the first period which saw 7:23 of action without a whistle (8:32 to 1:09).
• Westin Churchill remains 2nd on his club’s scoring (24 points) despite being pointless in 5 straight games. (Ethan Gobel has more but is currently with the Powell River Kings).
• Nice to see Carter Crabb back in the lineup for Victoria. He hasn’t played all season waiting on surgery but decided he wanted to get back to playing hockey while waiting on a date.
• Kudos to Brandon Taylor for sticking up for his teammate after getting hurt. The hometown kid is played just his 15th game for Comox after coming over from Nanaimo.
• Very unselfish play by Grady Slugget on the 2-man breakaway to pass to Delli-Carri to let him score the empty net goal.
• Leon Mikhalchuk had his 3-game point streak and 2-game goal streak broken.
• Cougars forward Ben Wetterberg left for the dressing room with about 4 minutes left in the 2nd period and did not return. I went back to look at his last shift but didn’t see anything that would indicate an injury. He spent the 3rd period with his uniform on at the end of the arena.

• Victoria’s Jordan Ramsay had his 3-game point streak snapped (4G, 4A)
• These 2 squads have 2 games left against each other. (Jan. 31 & Feb. 14 both in Courtenay).

That’s it for today. Have a good day everyone!

Darryl Skender