The Peninsula Panthers are on to the next round of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League playoffs, after beating Westshore Wolves 4-2 in game 6 on Wednesday to capture the series four games to two.
The Panthers open the second round this Saturday in Mill Bay against the Kerry Park Islanders, who finished off an upset 4-0 sweep of South Division winner Victoria Cougars with a 5-3 win on Tuesday.
Riley Braun led the Panthers’ attack in the series clincher at The Q Centre in Colwood. He scored twice and set up two more goals in a game that rather mirrored the series, with the Panthers taking an early lead, the Wolves recovering and Peninsula regaining the momentum.
Braun’s first goal made it 1-0 after the first period, but the Wolves responded in the second with goals from Jack Westhaver and Blake Bentham to grab a 2-1 lead.
The Panthers’ top line combined on the equalizer late in the second, with Logan Speirs and Braun setting up Payton Braun for the 2-2 goal with 34 seconds left.
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Kyle Brown pushed the Panthers into the lead less than four minutes into the third on the power play, then Riley Braun added an insurance marker, converting a Speirs pass to make it 4-2 at the 13:19 mark. Peninsula goalie Ashton Lukan stopped all eight shots he faced in the third and 33 overall for the game.
Monday’s game 5, as it often does in best-of-seven series, proved a turning point in the Panthers’ advance.
Late in the third period at the Panorama Recreation Centre, the Panthers found themselves less than a minute away from taking a 3-2 series lead. But with 43 seconds left, the Wolves’ Isaac Leik made it 2-2 with goalie Jacob Haydar pulled for an extra attacker, pushing the game into the lottery that is overtime.
After the first overtime period settled nothing, Speirs notched the game winner 4:19 into the second OT period.
After game 1 at Kerry Park, the Panthers host games 2 and 3 next Monday and Friday (March 7 and 11). All game times are 7:30 p.m.
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