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Division title in Victoria Grizzlies’ crosshairs

Odds are the Victoria Grizzlies will need to win just one of the their final two regular-season games this weekend to clinch top spot in the Island Division. But they’re not taking any chances.

Odds are the Victoria Grizzlies will need to win just one of the their final two regular-season games this weekend to clinch top spot in the Island Division.

But they’re not taking any chances. The Grizzlies, who hold a four-point advantage over the second-place Powell River Kings heading into the final weekend, are looking for the full-pull and four points from games tonight at home to the Nanaimo Clippers and Sunday afternoon against the Cowichan Valley Capitals, also at The Q Centre.

“Right now, we need four points, so that’s what we’re going after,” said Grizzlies GM and head coach Craig Didmon, whose club enters today’s game at 34-18-0-4, good for fifth overall in the B.C. Hockey League.

“We had a goal of winning the division and getting home ice [advantage] in the first two rounds and we’ve given ourselves an opportunity to accomplish that, so that’s what we plan to do.”

The Kings finish with a home game tonight against Alberni Valley and road games in Nanaimo on Saturday night and in Port Alberni on Sunday afternoon.

The Clippers (26-29-1-0), who have been locked into the third spot in the Island Division for weeks, will likely have a big say on who finishes first as they play both the Grizzlies and Kings to wrap up their regular season. And then they’ll open the best-of-seven first round playoff series against which ever team finishes second.

“I guess they can pick who they want to play,” said Didmon with a laugh.

“But seriously, Nanaimo is vastly improved since the beginning of the year and beat [first overall] Chilliwack last week so we’ll have our hands full Friday.”

If the Grizzlies are to sweep their final two games, they’ll have to do it without assistant captain Ryan Nolan. The veteran winger, who is headed to NCAA Div. 1 Merrimack College in the fall, will serve the second and third games of an automatic four-game suspension he was handed for accumulating hit-to-the-head penalties.

“It’s unfortunate for Ryan because several of those penalties were very questionable, but it is what is now so this will give him a chance to rest some nagging injuries and be fresh for playoffs and then give someone else an opportunity to step up and get a little more ice time,” said Didmon.

One player who will definitely see a lot of ice time tonight is Grizzlies captain Alex Newhook. The BCHL’s leading scorer and projected first round selection in this summer’s NHL draft in Vancouver, is six points away from the elusive 100-point mark, a total no Grizzlies player has reached since current NHLer Tyler Bozak racked up 111 points in the 2006-07 season.

LOOSE PUCKS: While the Island Division champion will open the playoffs against fourth-place Alberni Valley, the fifth-place Capitals will start the playoffs off the Island as they will cross over to play either Penticton or Merritt in the first round.

bdrewry@timescolonist.com