The Victoria Grizzlies have seen this movie before. And they are eager for a sequel.
“Here we go again,” said Grizzlies head coach and GM Craig Didmon.
His club will be facing an elimination game for the fifth time in the 2018 B.C. Hockey League playoffs on Friday night at The Q Centre. They will have to win two more after that in order to advance.
Yet, some might say the Grizzlies, who rallied from a 3-0 deficit against the fourth-seed Alberni Valley Bulldogs in the first round, have the third-seed Powell River Kings just where they want them heading into Game 5 of their best-of-seven, Island Division final.
And heck, by trailing the Kings 3-1, the Grizzlies are even less in a hole than they were against the Bulldogs. But that’s where the similarities end. The Grizzlies finished 29 points ahead of the Bulldogs in the regular season but only four points ahead of Powell River.
The Kings edged the Grizzlies 3-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Hap Parker Arena in Powell River.
“Our backs are once again to the wall,” said Didmon.
“We have shown before we are capable of doing it and coming back. It’s one game at a time. There is no change in our focus. They still have to beat us. I believe we are the better team and now we have to prove it.”
Before the game, Didmon said he wanted his team to get a jump on the Kings in Game 4, after having to rally in the third period of Monday’s 3-1 Victoria win in Game 3. But the opposite happened as Hunter Findlater scored twice for Powell River in the first eight minutes.
“A slow start cost us,” said Didmon.
Jordan Guiney’s first goal of the playoffs pulled the Grizzlies to within one at 15:02 of the second period. Ben Thomas restored Powell River’s two-goal lead at 10:57 of the third period and that turned out to be the winner after Marty Westhaver’s second goal in as many games brought the Grizzlies back to within one at 11:27. But Victoria could not find the equalizer.
“Don’t believe that shot clock here. We had our chances. We just have to finish,” said Didmon.
Kurtis Chapman made 40 saves in goal for Victoria and Matteo Paler-Chow 34 for Powell River. Paler-Chow, who has been selected a star in each of the four games of the series, was named BCHL player of the week.
ICE CHIPS: Grizzlies’ mobile second-year defenceman Dayne Finnson, 20, has committed to University of Alabama-Huntsville of the NCAA for next season.
