Victoria Grizzlies GM and head coach Craig Didmon stated his beliefs that the Chiefs were a good hockey club, but then stressed Chilliwack: 鈥淜nocked off a team [Wenatchee] that was made for the regular season and now we鈥檙e going to go after them. We鈥檙e going to show them what a playoff team looks like.鈥�
Tatarnic chose to take the high road when asked his opinion of the slight as the two teams get prepared to play Game 1 of the sa国际传媒 Hockey League Coastal Conference final 鈥� or league semifinal 鈥� tonight at 7 at Prospera Centre.
Game 2 goes Saturday before Games 3 and 4 head to The Q Centre on Tuesday and Wednesday in the best-of-seven affair.
鈥淚 guess he鈥檚 entitled to his opinion. If you have to rely on that for motivation to win, then you鈥檙e not prepared to begin with,鈥� added Tatarnic. 鈥淎t this time of the year, if you鈥檙e not motivated to win, then there鈥檚 a problem. That shouldn鈥檛 be our sole motivation to this series.鈥�
In fact, it doesn鈥檛 come close, he suggested.
鈥淲hen you start every season, your goal is to make it as far as you can. A league championship is what our goal has been through this season and I鈥檓 sure that鈥檚 no different than any other team. 鈥� We鈥檙e still in the first steps of our goal,鈥� added Tatarnic.
鈥淲e鈥檙e in the semifinals and they鈥檙e the team that stands in front of what we want to accomplish. The problem is the other team is a pretty good hockey team so that presents the challenge.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e played two good teams in Nanaimo and Powell River. I would never discredit what either team brings. We battled Nanaimo the last two years in the round-robin format and Powell River was an excellent team throughout the season. All we can do is worry about what we鈥檙e doing. We鈥檝e played two really good hockey teams and we鈥檙e about to play another, that鈥檚 our focus.鈥�
Didmon and the Grizzlies have the same aspirations.
鈥淚鈥檓 really happy for the group, but we鈥檙e only halfway there. Our goal is to get the league title and we鈥檙e halfway there,鈥� he said.
Both teams had strong regular seasons. The Chiefs were 41-11-6-0 for 88 points, while Victoria was 37-12-5-4 for 83 points. In the playoffs, the Grizzlies used five games to down Nanaimo in Round 1, then seven games (including five overtime periods) to edge Powell River.
In 10 playoff games the Chiefs 鈥� who feature 10 players with NCAA Div. I commitments 鈥� have scored 36 times while surrendering 22. They allowed just six to Wenatchee, the regular-season champs. Victoria has tallied 30 times in 12 games and allowed just 25.
In the regular season, the Chiefs dumped the Grizzlies 3-1 in Victoria in what was Chilliwack鈥檚 third game of a three-game road trip. Victoria then earned an overtime win on the mainland.
Didmon and Co. have a strong belief that they are a much more fit club and that endurance paid off against Powell River.
鈥淚 felt like at the end of every period [against Powell River] we were the ones pushing because we鈥檙e in great shape. We鈥檙e just looking after our bodies. We鈥檝e been looking after our mind and bodies for a long time and it鈥檚 showing,鈥� said Didmon. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e healing and we鈥檙e all fresh. We don鈥檛 have any injuries right now and it鈥檚 great.鈥�
鈥淭hroughout the year we鈥檝e been working on conditioning, going for sprints on the soccer field out back or at the gym and hitting the bikes hard. We knew it would pay off and we just have to keep going at it,鈥� said Keyvan Mokhtari, the hero of Monday鈥檚 Game 7 double-overtime thriller.
鈥淔or us, it was just making sure we just wore down their defencemen during the game and you could tell by the first overtime they were gassed out and we took advantage.鈥�
However, the Chiefs have had eight days off to rest while Victoria was pushed to the brink, which could factor in.
The Grizzlies also feel they have a difference-maker in goalie Matthew Galajda, who was a league runner-up as most valuable player and is bound for the Cornell Big Red of the NCAA next season.
鈥淗e鈥檚 been stellar all year. He鈥檚 our driving force. It starts with him and moves out and without him, we wouldn鈥檛 be here right now,鈥� said Mokhtari.
鈥淲hen you have a guy in net like Galajda, as a coach you know that you have something special there and you have to do something with it,鈥� added Didmon.
Tatarnic was not disputing that.
鈥淥bviously, Galajda is a good goalie and their defence can all play. There鈥檚 no weak link back there,鈥� he said.
