Another game started well and ended badly for the Vancouver Giants, who were tied 2-2 with Victoria Royals before a third-period push by the visitors ended with a 5-2 loss for the home team at Langley Events Centre Saturday.
They were tied tied 1-1 after 20 minutes of play and 2-2 after 40.
Victoria notched two goals in the first half of the third period before adding an empty net goal with three minutes left to take the win.
Brett Olson and Braydon Riggall were the goal scorers for the Giants.
Caleb Matthews scored twice for Victoria, while Roan Woodward, Nolan Stewart and Max Silver each found the back of the net once.
Vancouver falls to 24-38-1-2 (51 points), while Victoria improves to 28-28-6-3 (65 points).
Victoria scored on the power play with 2:29 left in the first, when Timofei Runtso found Woodward in the right face-off circle, who ripped home his 32nd goal of the season to give the Royals a 1-0 lead.
Vancouver tied it up at 1-1 less than a minute later when Olson netted a rebound in front of the Victoria crease after a 2-on-0 breakaway from Blake Chorney and Joe Iginla.
Royals took the lead back with a goal in the first two minutes of the second period when Matthews made a move past a Giant in front of the net and buried the bouncing puck into the net.
Less than eight minutes later, the Giants responded for the second time when Tomik passed to Riggall who scored to even the score 2-2 after two periods.
Stewart scored off a broken stick at the 6:16 mark of the third to give Victoria a 3-2 lead before taking the 4-2 lead four minutes later from a goal by Silver on a 2-on-1 rush.
Matthews hit the empty net for Victoria with 3:07 left to take the 5-2 victory.
Giants’ are back on the road with their next game is scheduled this afternoon, Sunday,against the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Saturday, March 21, will be their final home game of the regular season and Fan Appreciation Night at 7 p.m. against Kamloops.