Grizzlies know it’s time to halt Express
The B.C. Hockey League threw a post-season roundrobin party for its divisional champions and what happens, but a near-traditional series breaks out.
The Interior-champion Vernon Vipers (2-0) look to have pretty much locked up one of the top-two positions in the three-team roundrobin semifinal after defeating the Coquitlam Express 6-1 Sunday night on the Lower Mainland, following last week’s 5-4 win over the Victoria Grizzlies at The Q Centre.
The two-game set between the Island-champion Grizzlies and Lower Mainland-representative Express, tonight in Coquitlam and Thursday at The Q Centre, will likely decide who advances to join Vernon in the best-of-seven BCHL Fred Page Cup final.
“We’ve played a lot of big playoff games this spring, but none bigger than these next two against Coquitlam,” said Grizzlies head coach Craig Didmon.
“If we win these two, we are sitting in the league final.”
Although the Express were held to a goal at home by the Vipers, Didmon knows his team must be wary of a frustrated Coquitlam side looking for an outbreak of offence tonight in its rink.
“They [Express] score a lot of goals and have a lot of weapons,” said Didmon.
“They are creative and generate lots of shots in their narrower rink. Our defence and transition game are going to be key for us. We’re looking forward to it. We've won some big playoff games on the road. Our guys are used to handling the pressure and playing in tough situations. It's going to be a battle but it's a matter of us being us. Our guys have a vision of what they want to accomplish.”
That includes playmaking Grizzlies forward Gerry Fitzgerald, second in playoff scoring with 19 points in 14 games.
The round-robin concludes Saturday with Victoria visiting Vernon.
“It’s certainly an interesting format in that it’s better from the physical attrition side of things that you know you’re only going to play four games, and not possibly seven,” said Didmon.
ICE CHIPS: The BCHL is heavily represented with 18 graduates in the 2014 NCAA Frozen Four from April 10-12 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Island Division grads include Matt Bodie, Daniel Carr and Noah Henry from Powell River and Matt Hatch of Alberni Valley with the Union College Dutchmen, who take on Nanaimo-native and Grizzlies/Powell River-grad Evan Richardson and his Boston College Eagles in the semifinals. The other semifinal features Mitch MacMillan of Alberni Valley and Victoria-native, Grizzlies/Penticton Veesgrad and NHL draft pick Wade Murphy of North Dakota against the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the three Reilly brothers from Penticton.