Grizzlies sharpen claws for another must-win
GAME DAY: ALBERNI VALLEY AT VICTORIA, GAME 5 7 p.m. at The Q Centre
The Victoria Grizzlies stared adversity in the face on Wednesday night, and lived to talk about it.
They’ll have to do it again tonight if they want to prolong their B.C. Hockey League season.
This time, the Grizzlies are in the friendly confines of The Q Centre, although in their first two playoff games in the Colwood arena, things didn’t quite go as planned and now they’ll face elimination once more in Game 5 against the visiting Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
“No, up until Wednesday, luck didn’t go our way, that’s for sure,” said Grizzlies GM and head coach Craig Didmon, whose club won Game 4 in a packed Weyerhaeuser Arena to stave off elimination but still trail the best-of-seven, first-round series 3-1 after losing the first three games in overtime.
“But you just keep working hard, which the guys have done, and eventually things are going to turn around for you.”
The Grizzlies, Island Division regular season champions, have outshot the fourth-place Bulldogs in all four games in the series, despite the Bulldogs having a big advantage in power plays — Alberni has had the man advantage 23 times, including three 5-on-3 opportunities, while the Victoria has had 14 power plays.
“We’re obviously disappointed we don’t have more wins but hockey is a tough sport where anything can happen so you just have to roll with it and focus on the task at hand,” said Didmon, who himself was ejected in the third period of Game 3.
“I can’t explain the penalty ratio so it is what it is. We play hard and we’ll continue to play hard.”
After being stymied by the hard-working Bulldogs in the first three games, the Grizzlies’ top guns on offence finally got on track in Game 4 with both BCHL rookie of the year Alex Newhook and 20-year-old high-scoring winger Ethan Nother notching their first goals of the series. Nother finished the game with a goal and two assists.
“I think Ethan is now comfortable with the next level of intensity that playoff hockey in this league brings and with Alex missing the last month of the season, he is finally getting his timing back so hopefully they continue to produce from here on out,” said Didmon.
The victory Wednesday also came without the services of veteran centre T.J. Friedmann. The St. Louis product, who is committed to Quinnipiac of the NCAA for the fall of 2019, is second on the team in playoff scoring with two goals and three assists but was injured late in Game 3 and didn’t play in Game 4.
“T.J. is doubtful for [today] as well,” Didmon said. “But we’re hopeful it’s not a long-term thing.”
Kurtis Chapman is expected to get his third straight start in goal for the Grizzlies tonight. The 19-year-old missed the first two games after returning home to Airdrie, Alta., after the death of a close friend. The veteran has looked at home in the playoff heat — 1-1 with a 1.78 goals-against average and .944 save percentage — which is nothing new for him Chapman played 12 playoff games for the Portage Terriers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League last season.
“Kurtis has gotten better with each game and he provides that veteran presence back there,” Didmon said.
If a Game 6 is required, it goes Saturday night in Port Alberni. A seventh-and-deciding game would be played Sunday afternoon at The Q Centre.
The series winner advances to play the winner of the NanaimoPowell River series, which Powell River leads 3-2 after a 3-2 victory in Game 5 on Thursday at Frank Crane Arena.
LOOSE PUCKS: Alberni’s Michael Sacco leads all goal scorers in the series with five . . . . Justin Michaelian leads the Grizzlies in playoff scoring with two goals and four assists for six points.