The Campbell River Storm had a tough week, but remain securely atop the North Division after suffering back-to-back losses.
Last Thursday night, the Storm traveled down to Nanaimo to take on the second-place Buccaneers at the Nanaimo Ice Centre. The team struggled to get any offence going, managing only 25 shots on the night.
Nanaimo’s Joshua Zary opened the scoring for the home team just four minutes into the first period, but Davis Frank would get the Storm back on even footing three minutes later.
Zary solved goaltender Aaron de Kok again before the period ended, however, sending the teams to their dressing rooms at 2-1 for the Buc’s.The Buccaneers would add to their lead with five minutes remaining in the second period when Trey Watson put the home team up 3-1.
Damon Porter would get the Storm back within one in the third, but that was as close as they would get, coming home with just their seventh loss of the year.
The next night the Storm welcomed the struggling Comox Valley Glacier Kings to Rod Brind’Amour Arena.
Like the night before, the Storm would give up a goal early in the first period. They evened up the score with about four minutes left in the period, but Comox got a second goal less than a minute later and another with just three seconds left on the clock to end the first period at 3-1 for the visitors, taking advantage of a Brett Kinley double-minor for slew footing.
The Glacier Kings opened the second much like they closed the first, adding a second powerplay goal to the board less than two minutes in. Josh Pederson got that one back less than a minute later to keep the game within reach for the Storm, and Noah Fladager had a golden opportunity to get the Storm back within one a few minutes later after finding himself on a shorthanded breakaway. Fladager cleanly beat goaltender Matthias Smith with his deke, but put his backhand wide of the opposite post.
Comox took advantage of another Storm penalty half way through the period to go up 5-2 and added another goal seven minutes into the third to put the game well out of reach of the Storm. Davis Frank got one back for the home team on the powerplay midway through the third, but the game ended 6-3 in favour of the visitors, giving them just their fourth win of the season.
The team repeats the same schedule this week, heading down to Nanaimo on Thursday and back home to host the Glacier Kings again Friday night, but will surely be hoping for different results.
Puck drop Friday is 7:30.