Forget Al Davis鈥 old line: 鈥淛ust win, baby.鈥
The Western Hockey League this season is about one thing: Just get in, baby.
That is the mantra for teams vying for playoff berths in a wide-open WHL campaign in which there is no clear favourite and any number of teams could go all the way.
Victoria and Kelowna are as good as in the Western Conference post-season. Seattle and Everett are strapping teams specifically built for the playoff grind. Portland still looks capable of springing a surprise, and the Kamloops Blazers and Spokane Chiefs also to a lesser extent. The only team that is all but done in the conference is Vancouver.
The Blazers are cresting at just the right time, bringing a four-game winning streak into Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre tonight and Saturday against the Royals (38-16-6). Seventh-place Kamloops is 27-22-8 and five points clear of ninth-place Tri-City, with the Americans holding a game in hand, but also getting precariously close to joining Vancouver on the playoff sidelines.
鈥淲e had a lot of injuries at Christmas but are healthy right now,鈥 said Kamloops head coach Don Hay.
鈥淲e have been competitive over the last four games in battle situations. And we have been getting the goaltending from Connor [Ingram]. But we can鈥檛 relax. Every game is huge for us.鈥
Hay said it鈥檚 a transformed Royals team that opponents are facing this season as the smaller, quicker forwards the club has selected in recent bantam drafts begin working their way onto the roster.
鈥淰ictoria has changed its identity from a big team to one with more speed and puck possession,鈥 said Hay, who in his career has guided WHL teams to three Memorial Cup national titles.
鈥淜elowna and Victoria are the elite teams in the conference and you are going to have to go through one of them.鈥
But there is no team this season the calibre of the Kelowna and Portland teams of recent seasons that were loaded with future NHLers. So this year鈥檚 playoffs are going to be like the lottery. And as it goes with any lottery, if you have a ticket, you have a chance. It鈥檚 that ticket Kamloops is battling for this weekend.
鈥淲e have to match that [Kamloops] urgency,鈥 said veteran Royals forward Logan Fisher.
鈥淜amloops has been playing really well of late. This is going to be a battle, for sure.鈥
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