Odds are the Victoria Grizzlies will need to win just one of the their final two regular-season games this weekend to clinch top spot in the Island Division.
But they鈥檙e not taking any chances. The Grizzlies, who hold a four-point advantage over the second-place Powell River Kings heading into the final weekend, are looking for the full-pull and four points from games tonight at home to the Nanaimo Clippers and Sunday afternoon against the Cowichan Valley Capitals, also at The Q Centre.
鈥淩ight now, we need four points, so that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e going after,鈥� said Grizzlies GM and head coach Craig Didmon, whose club enters today鈥檚 game at 34-18-0-4, good for fifth overall in the sa国际传媒 Hockey League.
鈥淲e had a goal of winning the division and getting home ice [advantage] in the first two rounds and we鈥檝e given ourselves an opportunity to accomplish that, so that鈥檚 what we plan to do.鈥�
The Kings finish with a home game tonight against Alberni Valley and road games in Nanaimo on Saturday night and in Port Alberni on Sunday afternoon.
The Clippers (26-29-1-0), who have been locked into the third spot in the Island Division for weeks, will likely have a big say on who finishes first as they play both the Grizzlies and Kings to wrap up their regular season. And then they鈥檒l open the best-of-seven first round playoff series against which ever team finishes second.
鈥淚 guess they can pick who they want to play,鈥� said Didmon with a laugh.
鈥淏ut seriously, Nanaimo is vastly improved since the beginning of the year and beat [first overall] Chilliwack last week so we鈥檒l have our hands full Friday.鈥�
If the Grizzlies are to sweep their final two games, they鈥檒l have to do it without assistant captain Ryan Nolan. The veteran winger, who is headed to NCAA Div. 1 Merrimack College in the fall, will serve the second and third games of an automatic four-game suspension he was handed for accumulating hit-to-the-head penalties.
鈥淚t鈥檚 unfortunate for Ryan because several of those penalties were very questionable, but it is what is now so this will give him a chance to rest some nagging injuries and be fresh for playoffs and then give someone else an opportunity to step up and get a little more ice time,鈥� said Didmon.
One player who will definitely see a lot of ice time tonight is Grizzlies captain Alex Newhook. The BCHL鈥檚 leading scorer and projected first round selection in this summer鈥檚 NHL draft in Vancouver, is six points away from the elusive 100-point mark, a total no Grizzlies player has reached since current NHLer Tyler Bozak racked up 111 points in the 2006-07 season.
LOOSE PUCKS: While the Island Division champion will open the playoffs against fourth-place Alberni Valley, the fifth-place Capitals will start the playoffs off the Island as they will cross over to play either Penticton or Merritt in the first round.
