Defenceman Tanner Browne scored three times as the Kerry Park Islanders beat the Oceanside Generals 5-3 in Parksville on Saturday night.
The Isles built up a 3-0 lead over the first and second before allowing the Generals to come back and tie the game early in the third period.
"We pretty much controlled the whole game, other than three minutes in the third period," Islanders owner Mark Osmond said.
After the brief lull, Browne got the Isles back in the lead, then added an empty-netter with just over a minute to play.
Browne scored his first goal in the opening frame, and Ryan Paisley and Caleb Franklin scored in the second. For Franklin, that was his sixth goal and seventh in the last seven games. Paisley added an assist to his goal, giving him a team-best 23 points on the year, with 13 goals and 10 assists.
Chase Anderson got the win in goal with 35 saves on 38 shots.
The Isles were 0-for-3 on the powerplay, while the Generals scored once — the goal that kickstarted their third-period resurgence — on the advantage. The Isles were whistled for the first five penalties of the game, including a double minor to Browne midway through the second period.
They also scored two apparent goals that didn't count; one that was called back due to a high stick that Osmond maintains didn't happen, another that went in and out of the goal without the referees seeing.
Despite the hiccups, Osmond was happy to get the victory.
"It was a good win," he said. "The boys played hard."
The Isles will visit the Westshore Wolves on Wednesday, but they might be a little shorthanded as a few players have already headed home for the holidays. Chances are, the Wolves will be in the same boat, however. It is unusual for the Islanders to have a game so close to Christmas Day, but Osmond can see some benefits to it.
"In years gone by, we've had a long Christmas break and we've just been awful when we've come back," he pointed out, noting that the team lost nine in a row after an extended holiday layoff last year. "This should keep the guys in shape, and we're hoping that pays off."
The Isles currently sit in fourth place in a South Division that is very tight from second to fifth. They are just four points out of second place.
The team will get back in action on
Dec. 30 on the road against the Peninsula Panthers. They will be at home to the same team on Jan. 2
"They're all huge now, especially against divisional rivals," Osmond said.