Saturday, October 3, 2015 – Submitted by Mario Annicchiarico / Times Colonist
Not ready to push any panic buttons, Victoria Grizzlies’ general manager and head coach Craig Didmon believes in the crew he has put together and has confidence they will begin to produce more positive results.
“We didn’t finish on our chances and that’s what happens. We get point-blank opportunities to score, we don’t and they do and that’s how it’s gone so far,” he said of the most recent result, a 4-2 loss in Port Alberni on Friday.
There is no time to sit and ponder or pout as the 1-5-0-1 Grizzlies get back to work today at 2 p.m. at The Q Centre, entertaining the Vernon Vipers (3-4-0-1 prior to last night). They’ll do it likely without three defencemen as Jake Stevens and Drayson Pears joined Brett Stirling on the injury shelf. There’s a chance Stirling could be back.
“We just haven’t been able to put the puck in the net when we have our chances. It’s not like we’re getting out-chanced every night, we’re just not cashing in,” Didmon said.
The group failed to cash in on four breakaway opportunities against the Alberni Valley Bulldogs and allowed the fellow Island Division club to slip by them in the B.C. Hockey League standings.
“The two losses against Alberni are the ones that burn me the most,” Didmon admitted. “A division rival like that, those are four points we could have had that we don’t. It’s important to understand that every game counts and it all adds up at the end.
“I have to be patient, though. I know we’ll be a better team as guys get more experience, but we certainly want to put some urgency in it now,” he said of his inexperienced club. “We’re getting beat on the scoreboard, but we’re not getting beat shift-in and shift-out. It’s a matter of finishing chances.”
That was the story coming into the season and the story just gets bigger as players start squeezing sticks.
On Friday, Nick Guiney scored his second and third goals of the season as a secondary line begins to tally, but the top line of P.J. Conlon, Brayden Gelsinger and Cole Pickup were kept off the scoresheet.
The team is averaging just 2.00 goals-for an outing, the second lowest in the league, behind just Prince George, the team Victoria beat 2-1 in overtime for its only victory so far.
The Grizzlies are now surrendering 3.43 against per outing, better than seven other clubs (all stats are prior to Saturday play). Nine goals against came in the last two games, so there has a bit of a slippage in that department this week.
Victoria’s goal differential is 10, having tallied 14 times and allowed 24 in the seven games, the fourth worst in the BCHL.
“You have to stick with the plan. Our veterans have to be more disciplined, they’re showing frustration and spending too much time in the box when we need them on the ice,” said Didmon, who is in dire need of those leaders. “That can get better. Other than that, stick to the plan and keep working hard.
“Right now, it’s a fine line between winning and losing. Right now, we can’t be just OK, we have to be great every night,” he insisted.
IN THE DEN: With Stevens out for up to two weeks and Pears a week, Didmon will likely bring up affiliated players Nico Somerville and Tomas Huddleston today. … A tailgate party with barbecue (by donation) begins at noon today.
mannicchiarico@timescolonist.com
