CHILLIWACK 3
VICTORIA 0
听
The Chilliwack Chiefs are really starting to like their trips across the water to Victoria.
Prior to Saturday night, the last time the Chiefs were at The Q Centre they ended the Victoria Grizzlies鈥� season in the sa国际传媒 Hockey League semifinals last spring.
It wasn鈥檛 quite so dramatic on Saturday, but the Chiefs, with just three players back from that team that went to the BCHL final last season, again bested the host Grizzlies, this time by a 3-0 score. The victory also halted a brief two-game losing skid by the Chiefs (8-8-2), who had lost 3-0 at home to Prince George the night before.
The Grizzlies, coming off an emotional 4-1 win in Nanaimo on Wednesday, couldn鈥檛 muster much offence in front of 829 hometown fans, and when they did create chances, Daniel Chenard stood tall in the Chiefs鈥� net.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 work very hard. It looked we rested on our laurels after a few good games,鈥� said Grizzlies GM and head coach Craig Didmon, whose club had won three straight but now drops to 10-7-1 on the season.
鈥淲e were having some success and then they start thinking it鈥檚 going to come easy, and that鈥檚 not the way it works in this league. There are too many good teams.鈥�
The Grizzlies have eight players back from last year鈥檚 team, but even with revenge on their minds, they could do little to solve the Chiefs yet again.
鈥淲e tried not to internalize the revenge thing too much but you saw some real sloppy play out there on our part,鈥� added Didmon. 鈥淵ou couldn鈥檛 recognize us as a team. We got away from our systems and had too many guys on their own page . . . and that鈥檚 how you lose a hockey game.鈥�
After a scoreless first period, in which Grizzlies netminder Zack Rose made numerous point-blank stops, the Chiefs, with nine players committed to NCAA schools, got on track in the second, starting with University of North Dakota-bound Harrison Blaisdell. The smooth-skating rookie swatted home a rebound to give the Chiefs the lead at the midway point of the period. And Holy Cross-bound Anthony Vincent tallied with just two minutes left in the period with a high wrister from the slot. Will Calverley, bound for Rochester Institute of Technology next fall, added an empty-netter with 20 second left. The final shots on goal were even at 28 apiece.
After a slow start to the season, the Chiefs are 6-4 in their last 10 games and look to be once again one of the elite teams in the league.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a good hockey club over there so give them credit,鈥� Didmon said. 鈥淭hey started slow but brought in some good players and now they鈥檙e back as one of the better teams in the league.鈥�
Leading that charge on most nights is a player with a well-known name in these parts. Skyler Brind鈥橝mour is a big, energetic centreman, much like his dad, Stanley Cup-champion Rod Brind鈥橝mour of Campbell River, was with the Carolina Hurricanes. The youngest Brind鈥橝mour, born in Raleigh, North Carolina, is second in the league in rookie goal-scoring with six, and is committed to Michigan State University.
The Grizzlies don鈥檛 have much time to dwell on Saturday鈥檚 loss as they host the Salmon Arm Silverbacks today at 2 p.m. The Silverbacks were beaten 5-1 by the Cowichan Valley Capitals on Saturday in Duncan.
LOOSE PUCKS: The Grizzlies got Cam Thompson back from injury Saturday, but Justin Michaelian remains out and is not likely to play today. . . . Following today鈥檚 game, the Grizzlies鈥� homestand continues next weekend with games Friday against Merritt and Sunday against Trail.
