The sa国际传媒 Hockey League鈥檚 schedule makers may have been a little too close to the dentist鈥檚 laughing gas when they plotted out this week for the Victoria Grizzlies.
By week鈥檚 end, the outcome could be as painful as pulling teeth for general manager and head coach Craig Didmon, although he is accepting the challenge.
The Grizzlies (29-10-3-4) will head to Port Alberni tonight to face the Alberni Valley Bulldogs before returning home for Friday鈥檚 outing at The Q Centre against the defending national champion West Kelowna Warriors. Then it鈥檚 right back on the bus for Port Alberni for a Saturday night affair.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy, but it鈥檚 good because you do get to simulate that playoff grind,鈥� said Didmon. 鈥淭here will be a light practice [Thursday], then a home game and Saturday back to Alberni. This league never gets easy.鈥�
And Didmon is correct in that the Alberni clashes could be a playoff preview if the Bulldogs can catch Nanaimo, currently four points back with two games in hand.
Didmon is expected to finally have Cody Van Lierop back on the roster tonight. The Grizzlies鈥� captain has not played since Dec. 7, missing 14 games due to mononucleosis. Over that stretch Victoria has won eight, lost five and tied one.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a tough stretch for him, but he鈥檚 been back practising hard. Cody logs some real important minutes and does a really good job with those minutes,鈥� said Didmon.
鈥淗e鈥檚 our top defenceman in so many ways. We have a great supporting cast with Brett Stirling and Jake Stevens and Dayne Finnson and Drayson Pears, they all have been doing a great job. But Cody is our leader in battle 鈥� our captain. He鈥檚 been leading behind the scenes while away.鈥�
Which was, obviously, tough on the captain.
鈥淚t was hard to watch, the loss in Wenatchee, the two losses to Powell River 鈥� I just felt so bad because I wasn鈥檛 out there,鈥� said Van Lierop. 鈥淚 guess it鈥檚 part of the pain of the season and you have to battle through.鈥�
Just 12 games remain to lock down first place in the Island Division and possibly move up the overall placings. The Grizzlies are four points up on Powell River, with two games in hand, so the odds to top the Island are good.
Cole Pickup continues to lead the Grizzlies in points with 55 including 24 goals. In his last 19 games, he has recorded 22 points and he sits ahead of both Tyler Welsh and Stevens with 44 points each.
Stevens, who has the second-highest point total among defencemen in the BCHL, has 37 assists on the season and the offensive rearguard has 19 points in his last 19 games. Teammate Stirling is tied for eighth among blue-liners with 26 points.
IN THE DEN: Jamie Rome is away at the CJHL Prospects Game, but will be back for the weekend games. Justin Michaelian and T.J. Friedmann are both day-to-day with injuries. Didmon will likely play Matthew Galajda in goal tonight and Friday before Tony Rehm takes over on Saturday.
