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Clippers and Grizzlies provide Nanaimo fans with an entertaining playoff preview

Feb 25, 2017 | 1:36 PM

NANAIMO — Friday’s game between the Clippers and Grizzlies was a playoff preview and if the upcoming series is anything like Nanaimo’s home finale it will be a great one.

Victoria won the game 3-2 in overtime in front of a massive crowd of over 2000 people, but two teams separated by 32 points in the standings looked to be very even.

The Grizzlies won the first period getting goals from Nathan Looysen and a power play deflection by Lucas Clark.

In the second 20 minutes a fight between Nanaimo’s Josh Blanchard and Victoria’s Nick Guiney seemed to spark both clubs in the period.

Later a melee at the benches sent the game into a frenzy when Tony Rehm ran into Lucas Finner as Victoria’s starting goalie was coming off the ice on a delayed penalty.

Several players were pushing and shoving and more than a few punches were thrown.  

The end result of the fracas was game misconducts for both Rehm and Finner.

The Clippers got both of their goals in the second with Finner getting a power play tip in behind Rehm before they left the game and Sean Buchanan beating Matthew Galajda on a shot off the crossbar and in.

Nanaimo outshot Victoria 20-4 in one of their best periods of the season.

There was not scoring in the third, and the Clippers that set the stage for overtime.

With the game in three on three Nanaimo was awarded a power play but failed to score.

After killing it off the Grizzlies Dayne Finnson snapped a screened shot by Evan DeBrouwer with just 13 seconds left on the clock.

On the night Nanaimo was 1/4 on the power play and 2/3 killing penalties, while they outshot Victoria 41-32.

The loss means a fourth place finish for the Clippers and a first round date with Victoria in the post season starting on March 3 at the Q Centre.

Saturday’s regular season finale between the two clubs won’t mean anything in the standings although the Clippers would like to get an elusive win against the Grizzlies in a season series that has gone 0-6-0-1 so far.

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Friday’s Three Stars 

1) Dayne Finnson 1g

2) Sean Buchanan 1g 1a

3) Cole Pickup 1a