With just six games remaining in the regular season, the Saanich Braves have plenty to shoot for over these last two weeks.
Four points back of the South Division leading Victoria Cougars in the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League, the two teams meet up tonight at 7 at Archie Browning Sports Centre and then conclude their head-to-head clashes a week from Friday at Pearkes Arena.
First place is the goal for both clubs and the Braves, at 27-12-1-2, would love to secure the top spot within the division, which the Cougars (28-8-0-5) have perennially owned. Both trail the Campbell River Storm for first overall at 31-9-0-0.
鈥淭hose two games will dictate. Let鈥檚 face it, if we want a sniff of catching them for first place we have to win these two games. We can maybe seal our own fate,鈥� Braves head coach and general manager Brad Cook said of facing the Cougars.
The Braves have won the last four against the Cougars, three by a single goal (two in overtime) and the other was a 4-2 victory.
鈥淎ll of them have been good hockey games. Quite frankly, any of them could have gone either way. The odd fortuitous bounce, the odd big save, a timely goal 鈥� when you play that team guys always find a way to dig down for that little extra,鈥� said Cook. 鈥淚t鈥檚 that blocked shot; the perfect defensive zone clear at the right time; just making the right plays.
鈥淲e wish we could have brought that little extra intensity for all 48 games. Had we, we wouldn鈥檛 have some of those losses and we might be sitting in first overall now after 42 games.鈥�
For as good as the Braves have been this season, they have managed to drop a pair of losses to Peninsula and Oceanside, the two lower placed teams in the league.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had sleepers here and there, but at the end of the day they are teenage kids and there is a learning curve,鈥� added Cook, whose team lost 3-2 at home to Oceanside eight days ago, out-shooting the Generals 47-26.
鈥淵ou have to find a way, totally. They beat us in our barn 3-2 twice. Those are huge points,鈥� said Cook.
And that鈥檚 a lesson to take into the playoffs.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think anyone in this league should overlook their first-round opponent. If things go as planned, in terms of our seeding, you鈥檙e going to see someone in that second round, but by no means are we going to look by our first-round opponents,鈥� said Cook.
鈥淵ou can preach all you want, but you don鈥檛 know it until you live it, how different playoffs are where every single inch of the ice counts.鈥�
There are also personal achievements on the line as Braves forward Nick Guerra is tied with the Storm鈥檚 Colin Blake for the VIJHL points lead, each with 71.
Guerra is the runaway leader in goals with 42 in 39 games played while Blake heads up the assists column with 41 helpers in 39 games. Both are averaging 1.8 points per game.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important, but my goal is to finish first in the South and win a championship. It is a goal of mine. It would be nice to go out in my last year with a scoring title, but it鈥檚 the not the first thing on my mind,鈥� said Guerra.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e big games, four-point games,鈥� he said of the coming clashes with the Cougars. 鈥淭hese two are huge, probably first place in the South.鈥�
But Cook would love nothing more than to see Guerra top the points parade.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 care what league you鈥檙e in, to average over a goal a game is pretty special,鈥� said Cook. 鈥淗opefully, he can keep that pace up for the last six and hopefully, as a team, we can help support him in the quest to win a scoring title. It鈥檚 not often you get to do that in your life, if ever.鈥�
