With just 10 regular-season games remaining and first place in the Island Division virtually locked up, the Victoria Grizzlies will be looking to manage themselves a little more tightly over the next few weeks.
With three games in three days this weekend in Langley, Salmon Arm and Vernon, and still without a full roster, general manager and head coach Bill Bestwick will not tempt fate by pushing the team to the brink.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to think that we鈥檒l have a full roster going into the weekend, but I鈥檓 not sure that鈥檚 going to happen yet,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just going to take it one game at a time, one period at a time 鈥� the old clich茅s, right, and see how things shake out,鈥� he added. 鈥淚f we can come back Sunday night healthy and with a few points in our back pocket, then it鈥檒l have been a successful weekend.鈥�
Turner Lawson did return to the lineup in Tuesday鈥檚 7-4 win over Powell River that improved the team鈥檚 first-place overall record to 31-9-0-6.
Yes, No. 1 overall still remains the goal, so as to provide home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs, but Bestwick doesn鈥檛 intend on bringing anyone back too early.
Kade Pilton sat out with the flu on Tuesday and could be back at some point this weekend. Gerry Fitzgerald, a key component, is still injured and remains out. Mark McLellan, David Walchuk and Brett Hartskamp are all day-to-day with nagging aches.
Mike Stiliadis will likely start in goal tonight and Sunday, with Brady Rouleau, who won on Tuesday, back in net on Saturday.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to see us come out with a couple of wins and healthy,鈥� stressed Bestwick. 鈥淭hree wins and injuries or suspensions will be the worst thing that can happen to us right now.鈥�
And he wants to see better efforts in the third periods of games, unlike the last two at home against Powell River where the Grizzlies were sloppy defensively, allowing the Kings to get back into games.
鈥淲e talked about the third periods, it鈥檚 not our opponent and what he does, it鈥檚 how we conduct ourselves and I didn鈥檛 like the way we conducted ourselves [Tuesday],鈥� said Bestwick.
