It's do or die time for the Westshore Wolves as they prepare to face the Victoria Cougars Tuesday night in Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League playoff action.
The Victoria Cougars go in to the game holding a 3-0 lead in their second round playoff series versus the Westshore Wolves.
Eight different players hit the score sheet Sunday afternoon as Victoria went on to defeat the offensively challenged Wolves 8-2.
Ryan Carson, John Kretzschmar, Wade Johnson, Marino Somerville, PJ Heger, Sam McMullen, Ryan Buse, and Nick Lyons scored for the Cougars who remained undefeated in the postseason.
Making 24 saves for the win was Grant Payne. His best save was a point blank stop on James Severs in the third period during a 2-on-0 rush.
Westshore opened the scoring at 3:03 of the first period when Clay Carson jammed the puck past Payne for his fourth goal of the postseason.
Despite giving up the game’s first goal, Victoria came right back and went ahead 2-1 before the end of the period on goals by Carson and Kretzschmar.
Second period goals from Johnson and Somerville would send the Cougars into the second intermission up by three.
Victoria increased its lead to 5-1 at the 1:05 mark of the third period when Heger fooled Chris Smith from a sharp angle.
Smith, whose been used as target practice the last two games, was shown the hook after allowing five goals on 26 shots.
Westshore would pull to within three on an unassisted power play goal from Connor Krupa at 4:01.
The next three Cougars goals would come on the power play.
McMullen gave Victoria a 6-2 advantage at 6:07 after beating Blake Pearson top shelf. The Cougars extended their lead on a goal by Buse at 15:04. Lyons would round out the scoring at 17:27 after he beat Pearson from a sharp angle.
Pearson, whose body language would say it all, was burned for three goals on 12 shots.
Wolves’ Corey Peterson received a check to the head penalty, a ten minute misconduct, and a game misconduct in the final minute of regulation.
Victoria finished 3-for-9 with the man advantage. The Wolves went 1-for-7.
In Sauturday’s game The Cougars made it two in a row last night following a 4-0 win in Westshore. Sam McMullen (power play), Michael Fretz (shorthanded), Wade Johnson (full strength), and Nathan Looysen (empty net) all scored for Victoria.
Grant Payne, who was making his 23rd consecutive start in net for the Cougars, turned aside all 16 shots for the win.
Special teams have also played a factor so far. The Cougars are 6-for-14 with the man advantage; meanwhile, Westshore is 1-for-5.