By Ian Holmes

Buccaneers carry play, but fall 2-1 to visiting Westshore Wolves

Oct 20, 2016 | 11:02 PM

NANAIMO — The Buccaneers let one get away Thursday night at the Nanaimo Ice Centre.

The Nanaimo based VIJHL club outshot and outchanced the Westshore Wolves, but lost the specialty teams battle as the Wolves (6-6-0-1) edged the Bucs 2-1 (5-9).

Both Wolves goals came on the powerplay, as Brandon Tutte tallied late in the second period, while the game-winning goal came off the stick of the games first star, Jordan Guiney, who buried his 6th of the season early in the third period. Nanaimo’s Patrick Poets scrored his 5th 5:45 into the game as the Bucs lost for the first time this season when they don’t score the games opening goal.

“We’re a young team and we’re going to make mistakes and hopefully we learn from it,” said Buccaneers head coach Dan Lemmon. He says two bad penalties led to both Wolves goals which erased a strong first period for his club.

“I Thought we controlled the game, 5-on-5 they (Westshore) didn’t have much to offer us, I thought we had a lot of chances.”

closing arguments

Crown refutes self-defence claims for Nanaimo woman on trial for murder/dismembering ex-boyfriend

11h ago

rental rules

Thousands of short-term rentals go back to long-term May 1: B.C. government

14h ago

sweet sounds

Nanaimo woman tries to coax trapped killer calf out of tidal lagoon with her violin

19h ago

Not converting on chances is a growing trend for the offensively-starved Buccaneers.  Nanaimo has managed three goals or less in in six straight games.  The Bucs powerplay has dried up lately on home ice going  0/15 over the last four games at the NIC. Offensive stalwart Trent Bell hasn’t scored in seven outings in a row.

“They (Westshore) didn’t make any mistakes, they didn’t take any unnecessary penalties,” said Lemmon. “We found a way to lose this game, that’s the way I feel.”

Cedric Lesieur was strong in goal for Nanaimo, stopping 23 of the 25 shots he faced. However, he was bested by Wolves netminder Jordan Spandli who stopped 32 shots.

Lemmon says they aren’t generating enough traffic and commotion in front of the opposition net and also aren’t consistently playing a physical brand of hockey.

“Those are things that I get angry about because we practice that. You have to have traffic, you have to have a compete level in front of the net and I think right now we’re still lacking it a bit.”

The Wolves victory in Nanaimo comes one night removed from a convincing 7-0 win over the visiting Kerry Park Islanders.

Nanaimo has a busy weekend ahead with games Friday night on the road versus the last place Peninsula Panthers (1-11-0-2) and Sunday afternoon in Esquimalt against the Victoria Cougars.

Victoria has no less than four ex Buccaneers on their roster this season (Nick Gomerich, Owen Dalman, Jake Calverly and Mitch Popp).

The Buccaneers next home game is next Thursday evening, Oct 20 versus the Comox Valley Glacier Kings at 7:15.

– with files from Kyle Ireland –