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Victoria Grizzlies’ barrage pays off to earn series lead

VICTORIA 4 POWELL RIVER 1 (Grizzlies lead series 1-0) The Victoria Grizzlies threw everything but the kitchen sink at Powell River Kings veteran goaltender Mitch Adamyk during the opening game of the B.C.
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Victoria Grizzlies' Alex Newhook looks to pass in front of Powell River Kings' Matt Rickard.

VICTORIA 4   
POWELL RIVER 1

(Grizzlies lead series 1-0)

The Victoria Grizzlies threw everything but the kitchen sink at Powell River Kings veteran goaltender Mitch Adamyk during the opening game of the B.C. Hockey League second-round series on Friday night at The Q Centre.

And it was a good thing, because they needed every one of those shots.

The Grizzlies fired 51 shots at the 20-year-old Kings netminder and four beat him as Victoria took Game 1 by a 4-1 score.

Despite the ice being slanted all night — the Grizzlies outshot the Kings 51-20 — the Grizzlies needed goals from their top 2019 NHL prospects, Alex Newhook and Alex Campbell, early in the third period to pull away from the Kings and take the opener of the best-of-seven series.

Marty Westhaver put the game on ice for Victoria, converting a nifty feed from Cam Thompson on a two-on-one with just three minutes remaining.

Newhook, projected to go in the first round of this summer’s NHL draft in Vancouver, also opened the scoring with a power-play goal late in the first period as the Grizzlies won their fifth straight to open the playoffs after a sweep of Alberni Valley in the opening round.

Adamyk, in his fourth season with the Kings after coming west from Winnipeg, stood tall in the Powell River goal early, allowing his team to stay close and eventually draw even midway through the second period when Ben Thomas struck on a power play.

Campbell returned to the Grizzlies’ lineup sporting a full face shield after missing the last two games with a broken nose. The 18-year-old, expected to go in the middle rounds for the NHL draft, finished off a pass from his brother Charlie 42 seconds after the Newhook third-period marker.

Kurtis Chapman didn’t have a lot of work but made a handful of big saves as the Kings had seven power plays.

LOOSE PUCKS: The Kings were without leading scorer Ryan Brushett, who served the last of a three-game suspension picked up in the opening round. . . . If a fifth game is needed, it will be at The Q Centre next Friday night. . . . In the Interior Division semifinal series, the Cowichan Valley Capitals again drew first blood in a series, knocking off the Wild 3-2 in Wenatchee.