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Going on the road to northern sa国际传媒 to begin three games in three days is tough enough.
Add to it the fact you鈥檙e losing three of your best performers for the final two games 鈥� and that makes this weekend鈥檚 venture an extreme test for the Victoria Grizzlies.
The 14-10-3-1 Grizzlies will face the 14-10-2-3 Prince George Spruce Kings tonight at 7 before moving on to tackle the league-leading Vernon Vipers on Saturday and the sa国际传媒 Hockey League basement-dwelling Coquitlam Express on Sunday afternoon.
Starting goaltender Zack Rose and forwards Jamie Rome and Alex Newhook will play tonight, but then fly out to try out for Team sa国际传媒 West for the World Junior A Hockey Challenge in Truro, N.S.
The Grizzlies, coming off a 7-3 trouncing by Powell River on Tuesday, will be a little thin.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got three-in-three and you saw some fatigue on the guys [on Tuesday]. We have to dig deep,鈥� said Grizzlies general manager and head coach Craig Didmon. 鈥淭his is a tough league to play in 鈥� you鈥檙e on top of the world one day and the next you鈥檙e facing adversity.鈥�
And they will have to respond if they want to stay with the front-runners.
鈥淲e want to take off here and show that we鈥檙e an elite team in the league. These guys know what they鈥檙e up against. There are great players on this team. It鈥檚 a deep roster,鈥� Didmon said. 鈥淭hey just have to have the habits. They have to behave like a champion every night.鈥�
They obviously need to be better defensively.
鈥淯nfortunately, we came in [to Tuesday night鈥檚 game] with six unanswered goals the other night and we were thinking offence, offence, offence. On the goals against, you can blame the goalie, but we were certainly stretched out in spots we shouldn鈥檛 have been in and giving up odd-man rushes.鈥�
With Rose out, Didmon will have to call up Bryce Scheibel from the Peninsula Panthers as a backup for Shawn Parkinson. He鈥檒l also have other affiliated players on call, if required.
As for the three departing on Saturday, this could be Newhook鈥檚 second straight chance to don the Canadian colours. He recently competed in the World U-17 tournament.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great opportunity for me and Rose and Rome. All three of us would like to get there,鈥� said Newhook, of St. John鈥檚, N.L. 鈥淚 think it would be really cool to be back with Hockey sa国际传媒 again and, hopefully, I get a chance to wear the jersey again in Nova Scotia, a little closer to home.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all excited for it and looking forward to it,鈥� added Newhook, who knows this will be a gruelling trip for the Grizzlies. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a long road trip, obviously, but the guys are up for it and, hopefully, they get three out of three [wins].鈥�
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