The Grizzlies have won all five outings against the Clippers this season and outscored Nanaimo 22-8 in the head-to-head meetings.
The hosts also surely want to make amends after a disappointing weekend in which they lost a high-scoring affair in Langley on Friday before being dominated in Wenatchee on Saturday, then rebounding with a lopsided victory in Surrey on Sunday.
“It wasn’t the weekend we wanted, that was evident and this week is huge,” Grizzlies forward Nathan Looysen said of tonight’s game and Saturday and Sunday matchups against visiting Powell River. “I think most of us have tried to put that behind us and we want to look forward to this week, starting with Nanaimo, grabbing those two points and moving on from there.”
To be able to do it at home — where they are 14-4-1-1 — is that much more important as the Grizzlies head down the stretch. There are only 17 games remaining in the schedule and nine are at The Q Centre.
They’ll also play tonight and the remainder of the month wearing their third jersey honouring Wounded Warrior Canada. The uniforms will then be auctioned Jan. 27 against the West Kelowna Warriors.
“It’s definitely nice to be back home and playing in front of the home crowd is going to be huge this month,” said Looysen. “Getting a chance to wear these jerseys is a pretty special opportunity for a lot of us and it’s obviously going towards a great cause, so we’re looking forward to it.
“It’s going to be a huge month for us, starting here with Nanaimo and then two with Powell River and a couple with Cowichan following that,” added Looysen. “Those divisional matchups are huge points for us, especially this time of year. We have to try and make these 17 games count.”
The Grizzlies are 26-8-3-4 overall for 59 points, while Nanaimo is 15-21-5-1 for 36 points and in a battle for the last playoff spot in the Island Division with Alberni Valley. Of the eight Grizzlies’ games remaining in January, seven come against divisional opponents in which Victoria is an amazing 17-2-3-1.
Newcomer Shawn O’Malley arrived late Wednesday afternoon and with a number of Grizzlies suffering from a bug that has gone through the team, the 19-year-old will likely step right into the lineup.
“I’m definitely excited, having a couple of former teammates on the team,” said O’Malley, who hails from London, Ont., but was playing with the Shreveport Mudbugs of the North American Hockey League. “It’s nice to be back playing in Canada.
“I’m excited to come in and, hopefully, be that extra piece of the puzzle help the team to make that playoff push,” added the six-foot, 200-pounder who should add some physicality and admitted he’s anxious to get going whenever general manager and head coach Craig Didmon needs him.
“I was going to have him watch this game and jump into the lineup on the weekend, but I’m already down two forwards,” Didmon said heading into Wednesday’s practice. “I expect him to come in and be an above-average player in the league and he allows us to get into those situations where we can roll four lines.”
The last home game the Grizzlies played was Dec. 18, when they beat Prince George 6-2.
