Confidence can be a fleeting thing.
Victoria Grizzlies starting netminder Matthew Galajda has it and he likes how it feels as the team is coming off two straight wins for the first time this sa国际传媒 Hockey League season.
The 18-year-old Aurora, Ont., native was in net for both those games and, in fact, has won three of his last four appearances and four of his last six. His first shutout of the season is included in that mix and, if not for a late mistake in Nanaimo, he and the team could be on a four-game winning run.
鈥淚鈥檓 a 100 per cent more confident than I first started,鈥� said Galajda, who is likely to get the start tonight at 7 against Cowichan Valley as the Grizzlies look for a second straight win against the visiting Capitals at The Q Centre. 鈥淚 think the first three games kind of threw me a bit, just getting used to the league, the speed.
鈥淭he last six or eight starts I鈥檝e had I鈥檝e felt very confident. You need that to play goal.鈥�
Galajda is 4-9-0-0 with a 2.95 goals-against average and .900 save percentage. He began the year with seven straight defeats 鈥� three by one goal, including an overtime loss 鈥� before finally recording his first victory.
鈥淚 stuck with it, the team played hard and it鈥檚 been a bit of a snowball,鈥� he said of his current run that included the 2-0 shutout in Vernon on Oct. 24. Then came the disastrous finish in Nanaimo as the Grizzlies blew a 4-3 lead in the last minute.
鈥淚t happens, we learn from it,鈥� said Galajda, who gambled and lost on the tying goal with 45 seconds left. Victoria lost it 5-4 with 1.2 seconds remaining. 鈥淚 definitely learned from my mistake. I came out of my net, decided to go back at the last second and the guy banked it off me. The team learned from it and it鈥檚 nice to see the resiliency.
鈥淭he team has been playing hard in front of me at least the last six starts, at least,鈥� added Galajda. 鈥淚t feels like the team has come together and the offence is coming alive. We just have to keep going this weekend and get another four points.鈥�
Victoria (5-12-0-2) also plays host to Prince George on Sunday afternoon as the team enjoys parents weekend. Backup Mitchell Benson could see action in that one, already having defeated the Spruce Kings 2-1 in overtime earlier this season.
For now, the Grizzlies would love to see this turn into a solid win streak, following up on last Friday鈥檚 3-2 win over Cowichan.
鈥淚 think we gain confidence against the teams in our division and we know we鈥檙e right there with them,鈥� general manager and head coach Craig Didmon said of the Island Division leading Capitals, who are 10-5-1-2.
鈥淐owichan is considered one of the top teams in the league. We鈥檇 lost three one-goal games against them and we finally got that chance to beat them last week.鈥�
