Grizzlies attempt to level series

You don’t have to tell the Victoria Grizzlies that the playoffs are a whole other game.

The Grizzlies, who finished 29 points ahead of fourth-place Alberni Valley Bulldogs atop the Island Division, find themselves trailing 1-0 in their best-of-seven opening-round series of the B.C. Hockey League post-season.

The Grizzlies, stunned 5-4 in overtime in the opener on Friday night, host the upset-minded Bulldogs again this afternoon at the Q Centre in Game 2 at 2 p.m.

“We had a practice [Saturday] and I met with the leadership group and they get it,” said Victoria head coach and GM Craig Didmon.

“They know we need to be more prepared and play hard.”

Didmon gave Alberni Valley its due. “I thought we were OK, but Alberni played a good, hard game,” he said.

The Grizzlies were buoyed in Game 1 by the return after three weeks of injury by BCHL rookie-of-the-year Alex Newhook, who is projected by some for the first round of the 2019 NHL draft. But Victoria’s first line of Newhook, Jamie Rome and Ethan Nother was stymied in the opening game.

“They need their timing back,” noted Didmon, of his reunited top line. “They just have to keep it simple and work hard and then the offence will create itself.”

Grizzlies goaltender Kurtis Chapman flew home to Calgary on Friday morning after a friend died in a car crash. Didmon said he did not know if Chapman would be available for today’s game. Zack Rose started in the crease for Victoria on Friday and made 32 saves while John Hawthorne blocked 34 shots for Alberni Valley.

The third and fourth games of the series are on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at Weyerhaeuser Arena in Port Alberni.

The second-seed Nanaimo Clippers and third-seed Powell River Kings are tied 1-1 in the other Island Division semifinal series following host Nanaimo’s 4-3 victory on Saturday night at Frank Crane Arena.