Head coach Bob Heyes will field his best team possible (minus Jesse King, who is unavailable) as the 12-4 Shamrocks entertain the 4-13 Nanaimo Timbermen tonight at 7:45 with first place overall on the line.
A win would secure home-floor advantage throughout the playoffs and would attract the 10-7-1 Burnaby Lakers as the opponent when the opening series starts on Tuesday.
鈥淥ne more win to lock up first, our goal is to come all out on Friday,鈥� said Heyes. 鈥淚t should be a good game. Nanaimo has nothing to play for except pride, so they鈥檙e going to come out hard. We鈥檙e putting our best lineup on the floor and trying to win this at home.鈥�
Should they not manage to do so, the Shamrocks would have another opportunity on Saturday in Coquitlam against the 7-10 Adanacs. A victory tonight would allow Heyes to rest up some players with the post-season just around the corner.
鈥淪ome guys may want some time away, but we鈥檒l see what happens when we get there. I don鈥檛 want it to come down to a Saturday night game in Coquitlam, having to win when we could have taken care of it the night before, so we鈥檒l be good,鈥� he said of his team.
Cody Hagedorn is likely to take his place between the pipes at home with Adam Shute starting in net on the road.
鈥淚t鈥檚 his old rink and he鈥檚 done well there,鈥� Heyes said of Shute. 鈥淚 want them both to be ready. If someone gets a bump, I can throw the other guy in. I think both are capable of pulling games out.鈥�
Heyes still has to slot George Westwood into one more game to qualify him for playoffs and that likely occurs on Saturday in Coquitlam.
鈥淲e鈥檒l go with our best lineup [tonight] and George will be there for playoffs in case we get into the rough stuff,鈥� added Heyes. 鈥淲e have one more hump to get over and there鈥檚 really nobody too banged up to go.
鈥淭hen we鈥檒l have light practice on Monday and figure out whoever we鈥檙e playing and go to work Tuesday and go from there. There is no down time,鈥� said Heyes. 鈥淥ther teams will have had it, but we had our breaks earlier in the season.
鈥淲e鈥檒l get into the flow. You have to be ready to play regardless if you鈥檝e had a couple days off or a week off.鈥�
The Shamrocks (on a three-game win streak) remain two points behind New Westminster (12-4-2) in the standings. One victory would even that number and also propel Victoria into first due to more wins, which is the first tiebreaker.
Maple Ridge finishes third at 11-6-1 just up on Burnaby鈥檚 10-7-1 log.
CLOVER POINTS: The dates for Victoria鈥檚 opening best-of-seven series are Tuesday, Thursday, Aug. 12, 14, 17, 19 and 21, the last three if necessary. Locations alter each game, beginning at The Q Centre.
