The Lake Cowichan Kraken hosted the Saanich Predators Sunday, Feb. 5, in front of a franchise record crowd of 352 fans at the Cowichan Lake Sports Arena.
Sponsored by Dominion Custom Fabricating Sheet Metal, it was “Huck a Duck” night at the rink with a $100 first place prize on the line.
Those in attendance were also treated to a great show of Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League hockey, with the two teams battling to a 2-2 tie before the Predators took the game in overtime.
Down 1-0 in the first period, team captain Sukhraj Narwal netted his 23rd of the year in response to knot the game at one apiece. Assists went to Aiden Eddy and Mitchell Billings.
Kyler Smith put the Kraken ahead 12:33 into the second period with a helper from Brayden Ganter. A short handed goal two minutes later pulled Saanich even.
There was no scoring in the third period so the game went to overtime.
Saanich forward Thomas Jenkins earned his league-leading 51st assist of the season when he fed teammate Jack Westhaver for the game winning goal at 1:21 of the extra frame.
It was the Kraken’s second loss of the weekend as a Friday night road trip yielded a 5-2 loss at Rod Brind’Amour Arena in Campbell River against the Storm.
Hometown Kraken player Richard Bergman scored both goals for Lake Cowichan — his seventh and eighth of the campaign — with helpers from Nicholas Moore and Dallas Brown on his second-period powerplay marker, and Anthony Wilson and Moore again on his third-period goal.
Up next for the Kraken is a visit to Panorama Rec Centre to meet the Peninsula Panthers on Friday, Feb. 10.