A significant trade last Thursday appears to have helped the Kerry Park Islanders get back in the win column over the weekend.
After a 3-2 road loss to the Westshore Wolves last Wednesday, and with the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League trade deadline coming up on Jan. 10, the Isles pulled the trigger on a big deal, sending veteran goalie Chase Anderson to the Campbell River Storm in exchange for goalie Matt Henwood, defenceman and former Peninsula Panthers captain Josh Poland, and a player to be named later.
“It was a good deal for us, and good for Chase, who has an opportunity to get a championship with Campbell River,” Islanders owner Mark Osmond said.
After the trade, the Isles went on to win 4-2 over the Peninsula Panthers on the road on Friday, and 3-0 over the Wolves at home on Saturday.
Anderson made 34 saves in his last game with Kerry Park on Wednesday, but ended up saddled with the loss.
The Isles took the lead on a goal by Geoff LaMorre midway through the first period, and went up 2-0 when Jacob Malloch scored 37 seconds into the second, but gave up three unanswered goals, including the game-winner with 1:44 left in the game.
At Peninsula on Friday, the Panthers got on the board first, but Jordan Martin evened things up in the last second of the opening frame.
The Panthers went up again 30 seconds into the second period, but Caleb Franklin made it 2-2 midway through the period, and Kayden Peck and Samson McLean scored in the third. Malloch ended the game with two assists, while Rook earned the win with 22 saves.
“We were really disjointed in the first 30 minutes, but in the last 10 of the second and the whole third, we just dominated,” Osmond said.
Rook was perfect on Saturday, stopping all 40 shots he faced to collect his first shutout of the season. Malloch scored and assisted on Josiah Nadon’s powerplay goal in the second and Poland’s empty-netter late in the third.
After the Isles and Panthers combined for just six minutes in penalties on Friday, Kerry Park and Westshore combined for 104 minutes in the box on Saturday.
The Isles played host to the Saanich Braves on Tuesday in their second of five consecutive home games. They will be at home against the Nanaimo Buccaneers on Saturday at
7:30 p.m.
“Of our last 15 games, nine are at home,” Osmond noted. “We’ve got to beat these teams to get anywhere, so we have to start now.”