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Easton, goalies help Isles lock up home ice

Isles open playoffs at Kerry Park next Tuesday
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Kerry Park’s Avery Nielsen-Webb handles the puck in the offensive zone late in the Isles’ 7-1 win over the Peninsula Panthers at Kerry Park Arena on Saturday night. (Kevin Rothbauer/Citizen)

A nine-point weekend by the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League’s leading scorer and a pair of excellent starts by emergency goaltenders helped the Kerry Park Islanders lock up home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs with back-to-back wins over the Peninsula Panthers.

Evan Easton notched a hat trick in Kerry Park’s 4-1 win at Panorama Recreation Centre on Friday, then scored four goals and set up two more as the Isles trounced the Panthers 7-1 at Kerry Park Arena on Saturday.

Easton’s 34 goals and 72 points are the best marks in the VIJHL, four goals and nine points more than runner-up Booker Chacalias of the Victoria Cougars.

“He’s really stepped up,” Kerry Park head coach Aaron Spotts said. “I knew he would step up this year. I just didn’t know how much.”

At the same time, No. 1 netminder Rett Rook was sidelined with tonsillitis and strep throat, forcing the Isles to call on a couple of unknowns — to Spotts at least — in his stead. Shawnigan Lake School prep goalie Dalan Marleau filled in with a 30-save outing on Friday, and Juan de Fuca juvenile goalie Dylan Wilson — the brother of former Islanders forward Brandon Wilson — made 24 saves in his start on Saturday.

“I’d never seen either of those guys in a game before,” Spotts noted. “There was a bit of a panic when Rook messaged me saying he couldn’t play, but both guys stepped up and the team bought in defensively.”

Logan Furkalo opened the scoring for the Isles on Friday with a powerplay goal a 8:34 of the first period. The Panthers replied, but Easton restored Kerry Park’s lead with another powerplay marker just 61 minutes before the end of the opening frame. Easton added two more at even strength in the third. Brandon McClintick assisted on all three of Easton’s goals, and captain Romaeo D’Intino helped set up both first-period goals.

On Saturday, Easton scored two in the first, one at even strength and one with the man advantage, then set up second-period goals by McClintick and Isaac Leik before completing his own hat trick. The Panthers got on the board with just over three minutes left in the second. Easton potted his fourth in the third period, and Leik added his second of the night. McClintick finished the night with a goal and three assists, Tanner Tiel had three helpers, Leik had two goals and one assist, and Dawson Blanchette added two assists.

“We played really good hockey this weekend,” Spotts commented. “We were really good defensively and capitalized on our chances. The focus was on our defensive game, being good in our own end, and that translated to offence when we had good scoring opportunities. Our powerplay was clicking well. I was happy with the weekend.”

The Isles are now guaranteed to finish in the top four in the league standings. They sit third right now, behind the Campbell River Storm and Victoria Cougars. They are three points up on the Nanaimo Buccaneers, but the Bucs have three games remaining and the Isles have one. Kerry Park could face one of three different teams in the opening round.

“There’s a little bit of uncertainty with the playoffs,” Spotts acknowledged. “We want to focus on our game and be at our best going into the playoffs. Home advantage was our goal after Christmas; we feel we’ve played really well there all year and we’re comfortable in that rink.”

Regardless of who they face, the Isles will open the first round at home on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. The team has one regular-season game left, as they visit the Victoria Cougars on Thursday evening.