They have gone through half the month without a loss so why not finish January off on a perfect note?
That’s exactly the attitude the Victoria Grizzlies are taking as they set out on a tough three-game road trip that will test their mettle with stops in Wenatchee tonight before moving on to Langley and Chilliwack.
So far it’s six straight wins in the month, not to mention 11 consecutive games without a loss that dates back to Dec. 6 when they were upset 5-3 in Cowichan Valley. The only blemish since was a 3-3 double overtime draw against Prince George on Dec. 16, just before the Christmas break.
“It would be great, wouldn’t it?” Justin Michaelian said of the chance to get through the month (which includes six more games) without a loss. “It’s a good thing for the organization and all the players.
“We’re all building off of it. We’re taking it really well, too, so we just have to keep playing our game like we have been and see where things go,” added Michaelian, who is coming off a three-goal performance in last Sunday’s 6-2 win over Powell River.
So what’s changed since Dec. 6, which capped a five-game losing skid?
“There’s not one thing,” offered Michaelian. “Everyone is driving it and the [dressing] room is really good right now. We all hate losing, so to have that mentality in the locker-room, and with our work ethic — it’s something we’re all enjoying and that’s what’s helping us.”
The Grizzlies — at 24-14-3-2 — sit first in the Island Division of the B.C. Hockey League and on this trip will face teams all above the .500 mark.
The Wenatchee Wild are 27-12-3-1 for 58 points, second overall in the league (prior to Thursday play) behind just Vernon. The Langley Rivermen are 19-12-10-2 for 50 points, three behind the Grizzlies overall, and Chilliwack is 20-17-2-3.
“I think every team’s goal is to finish first overall and be best in the league,” said Michaelian. “I think Wenatchee is one of those teams that has always been at the top of the league, so it would be a statement to go in there and beat them. To catch them and pass them would be even better.
“We have a hard weekend, though, starting off in Wenatchee. They are all top teams so we have to bring our A-game and keep doing what we have been doing,” added Michaelian, referencing the streak. “It’s good, we’re on a hot streak right now and the best thing we can do is keep it going. We don’t want to lose.”
As for his hat-trick, which brings him to a team-high 21 goals on the season, Michaelian says he owes it to everyone’s hard work.
“It was good, you never really expect to have one of those nights, you just go out there and play and it just came,” he said. “I can’t take the credit myself — my team behind me was really good and my linemates, T.J. [Friedmann] and Shawn [O’Malley], helped me a lot with it. They were a big part of it, as was the entire team. It was a total team effort.”
As it has been throughout the streak.
“We’ve been working on a lot of things and practice is starting to pay off,” insisted Michaelian.
“The more we win, the more everyone on the bench wants to be involved in it. It just makes everyone become a better player. By winning all these games it’s helping kids come out of their shell and play the way they’re supposed to be playing.”
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