Surging Grizzlies aim to put distance between themselves and Kings

After a confidence-building 2-1 double-overtime win over Penticton on Saturday night, the Victoria Grizzlies will try to keep that momentum going tonight in Powell River.

Victoria is in search of its seventh straight win as the Grizzlies face the Kings at Hap Parker Arena. A road victory there would pretty much clinch first place overall in the Island Division unless there is a total collapse along the way.

The Alberni Valley Bulldogs were in Powell River on Tuesday night and the Kings picked up a 9-0 win to move to within four points of the Grizzlies.

Victoria does have three games in hand on the Kings with eight games remaining in the 2016-17 B.C. Hockey League regular season but just three are at home, including visits from Merritt and Salmon Arm on Saturday and Sunday.

The Grizzlies should be building off that key Saturday victory over the Vees in which Nathan Looysen scored a highlight-reel goal to end it.

“They came ready to go and I thought our habits were excellent. We respected Penticton for who they were and we went and played our game,” said Grizzlies general manager and head coach Craig Didmon. “The biggest thing for us was, no matter what was happening in that game, we kept an even keel. We didn’t get too emotional and we kept on going.

“I like how we came from behind. That’s a very good hockey club and that was probably one of, if not, our best game of the season.”

Which he hopes will translate into Powell River.

“To be honest, we were gearing towards that game [in Powell River] as much as the [Penticton] game,” said Didmon. “We feel good about what’s happened, but we wipe the slate clean and after a couple of good practices we will have a tough travel day, where we have to leave at 6 a.m. There’s great leadership in this room, though, and they come to play. The guys in the stalls want to win.”

Looysen, who also had an assist in Saturday’s thriller, sees it the same way.

“It’s a huge two points for us. We were down by one and coming back against Penticton is never easy. I think it was really good that we stuck to our game plan and we have to do the same thing going [to Powell River],” said Looysen, who had an excellent stretch last week after accepting a scholarship to Brock University.

“It goes to show how good of a team we are and when we stick together and have good team success, the individual success comes with the scholarships,” he added.

It’s time to re-focus on the Kings, who swept the Grizzlies 4-2 and 5-3 just over two weeks ago at The Q Centre.

“It’s a huge game, one of the biggest of the year and a big two points,” said Looysen. “For us, we have to put this last win behind us and bear down and focus on playing Powell River. We can’t get behind early, we have to stick to the game plan and if we do, we’ll be good.

“Winning there is never easy, but we have to do our best on Wednesday.”

The Grizzlies finally moved into the top-20 rankings of the Canadian Junior Hockey League, appearing at No. 19 on Monday and pushing the Vees down into the honourable mention position.