By Malcom Cooke
The Nanaimo Clippers fell 7-2 to the Victoria Grizzlies in a tough matchup on Teddy Bear Toss night. Dylan Kinch opened the scoring for the Clippers on the power play, but Victoria answered with two quick goals to end the first period ahead 2-1. Despite strong pressure and a lead in shots, the Clippers struggled to convert in the second, while the Grizzlies pulled away with two quick goals. Nanaimo captain Conner DeTurris scored in the third, but Victoria added three more goals, including one in the final second, to secure the win.
The Nanaimo Clippers faced an early challenge in the first period, taking a penalty just minutes into the game. Despite being short-handed, they nearly struck first, with a close-range shot ringing off the post. Soon after, momentum shifted when Tanner Bruender was hauled down on a breakaway, drawing a penalty against Victoria. On the ensuing power play, Dylan Kinch lit the lamp for the Clippers, igniting the crowd as teddy bears rained onto the ice for the team's annual Teddy Bear Toss. The Victoria Grizzlies responded quickly, capitalizing on a mad scramble in front of the net to tie the game. In the final seconds of the period, the Grizzlies struck again, seizing a 2-1 lead heading into the intermission. The Nanaimo Clippers came out strong in the second period, doubling their shot total within the first few minutes and pressing hard for an equalizer. They earned another power-play opportunity but couldn’t capitalize. Momentum shifted again when Clippers forward Luke Lavery was penalized for slashing, followed by a misconduct. Despite being short-handed, the Clippers’ penalty-kill unit continued to generate offence, nearly finding the net with a shot that rang off the post for the second time in the game. However, Victoria’s Landon Mackie turned the tide with two quick goals, extending the Grizzlies’ lead to 4-1. While the Clippers carried a lead in shots into the locker room, they found themselves trailing on the scoreboard after forty minutes of play.
The Nanaimo Clippers faced an early challenge in the first period, taking a penalty just minutes into the game. Despite being shorthanded, they nearly struck first, with a close-range shot ringing off the post. Soon after, momentum shifted when Tanner Bruender was hauled down on a breakaway, drawing a penalty against Victoria. On the ensuing power play, Dylan Kinch lit the lamp for the Clippers, igniting the crowd as teddy bears rained onto the ice for the team's annual Teddy Bear Toss night.
The Victoria Grizzlies responded quickly, capitalizing on a mad scramble in front of the net to tie the game. In the final seconds of the period, the Grizzlies struck again, seizing a 2-1 lead heading into the intermission. The Clippers came out strong in the second period, doubling their shot total within the opening minutes. They earned another power-play opportunity but couldn’t convert. The momentum shifted when Clippers forward Luke Lavery was penalized for slashing, followed by a misconduct. Despite being shorthanded, the Clippers’ penalty-kill unit continued to generate offence, nearly scoring again with a shot that rang off the post. However, Victoria’s Landon Mackie took control of the game, scoring two quick goals to extend the Grizzlies’ lead to 4-1. Although the Clippers led in shots, they trailed heading into the third period.
Victoria struck early in the final frame to take a commanding 5-1 lead. The Clippers responded with a goal from their captain, Conner DeTurris, but couldn’t sustain the momentum. A double-minor for high sticking left Nanaimo shorthanded again, though the penalty-kill unit stood strong. The Clippers earned a power-play chance late in the period but failed to capitalize. Victoria added two more goals, including one in the final second, to seal a decisive 7-2 victory.
The three stars of the game were given to Landon Mackie, Julien Cull, and Oscar Pantzare. FortisBC Energy Player of the Game was given to Dylan Kinch.
The Clippers will return to the Frank Crane Arena on January 4th to face the Coquitlam Express. Tickets can be purchased at the Frank Crane box office on game day or at tickets.nanaimoclippers.com.
