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Looking for something to build on, the Victoria Grizzlies will attempt to make it two straight wins for the first time this season as they entertain the Cowichan Valley Capitals in an Island Division matchup this afternoon at 2 at The Q Centre.
The Grizzlies snapped a six-game losing streak on Friday with a much needed 5-2 home victory over the Powell River Kings.
It was the confidence builder the Grizzlies were looking for after winning just one of their first 11 games of the sa国际传媒 Hockey League season.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge monkey off our back and to beat a team like that is nice,鈥� said veteran Kevin Massy, who scored twice on Friday. 鈥淲e had been close in every game we鈥檇 been in. It was a matter of finding that offence. We have good goaltending, good defence and great forwards. If we can score goals, we can be a great team.鈥�
Cole Pickup collected his fourth goal of the year (snapping a nine-game drought), Chuck Bennis got his second and Keyvan Mokhtari recorded his first for Victoria.
鈥淚t was nice to see Moki get one and hopefully the floodgates open there,鈥� said Massy, whose second goal of the game wrapped up a string of three tallies in a 1:52 span early in the third period to give the Grizzlies a 4-2 lead.
鈥淕etting that third goal, that changed the whole game. To get it right after we had tied it 鈥� we were hyped up about tying it up and we scored right away, so we didn鈥檛 have to worry about are we going to win or are we going to lose?鈥�
Newcomers Luc Soares and Colby Livingstone were both in the lineup for the Grizzlies, as was defenceman Jake Stevens, who returned from injury that kept him out of the last four games. Brett Stirling remains out.
Soares and Livingstone both provided an offensive threat and, more importantly, took pressure off the top line.
General manager and head coach Craig Didmon had Pickup on the No. 1 unit with Brayden Gelsinger and captain P.J. Conlon, which had numerous solid scoring chances throughout the night.
鈥淚 had them together and apart throughout the course of the week at practice. They wanted to play together and I thought they played a great game,鈥� Didmon said of the trio. 鈥淭hey led with great habits and the rest of the team followed.
鈥淚t was a character win and this group is on its way,鈥� Didmon said. 鈥淭hey knew it was a great opportunity to show the rest of the league that we鈥檙e better than our record. To come in and beat a team that had the best record in the division 鈥� not just beat them, but outplay them, was important. We were physical and quicker than them and it was good to see.鈥�
Now, they need to keep it going against another division rival this afternoon.
鈥淚t was a great opportunity and a great test. Everybody was hyped to play [Friday],鈥� Massy said. 鈥淸Cowichan] is a team we鈥檙e going to face a lot. It鈥檚 a team we want to beat. We had battled hard against them all season and we felt we鈥檝e deserved better.
鈥淣ow, if we can get on a good roll and claw back into the standings 鈥� that鈥檚 the goal here.鈥�
The Capitals 鈥� who faced Powell River late Saturday 鈥� continue to tinker with their lineup, adding 19 year-old forward Rhett Willcox in a trade from the Trail Smoke Eaters on Friday for 18-year-old defenceman Mitch Stapley.
The Capitals have defeated the Grizzlies twice this season, by 3-2 scores in Duncan.
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