The Victoria Grizzlies are in seventh heaven heading into the B.C. Hockey League playoffs.
The Grizzlies edged the Island Division-leading Nanaimo Clippers 5-4 in double overtime on Saturday night at The Q Centre and now carry a seven-game winning streak into the post-season, which begins Tuesday night in their home rink against the Powell River Kings.
For the second straight night, Kevin Massy played the hero. After scoring the winner in double OT on Friday night in Nanaimo, Massy pounced on a loose puck in the Clippers’ zone on Saturday night and made a nifty deke on Clippers goalie Jonathan Arseneau to send the 1,655 fans away happy. And send the Grizzlies into the playoffs as the hottest team in the league.
“This was certainly a big win because we had won six in a row and we wanted to finish the season on a positive note,” said Grizzlies GM and head coach Craig Didmon, whose team finishes second in the Island Division with a 29-18-1-10 record.
In terms of the standings, the game didn’t mean anything as the Clippers (37-16-0-5) had already wrapped up the division title and the Grizzlies second place. So it was no surprise both teams decided to rest some players. The Grizzlies were minus the injured Matt Kennedy and Garrett Forster, as well as Ayden Macdonald, who was serving the first of a two-game suspension thanks to a hit-from-behind penalty the night before. Didmon also rested Brett Gruber and Cole Pickup and started backup goalie Sean Cleary, who had a strong game, making 30 saves.
But this night was more about the players who did play. Spencer Hunter doubled his goal total for the season, scoring his third and fourth goals of the year. Rookie P.J. Conlon notched his sixth of the season and Thomas Gobeil scored his 25th of the season with eight minutes left to send the game into overtime.
“This just shows you what kind of depth we have on this team,” added Didmon. “The Conlons, the Hunters, the Barkers and Massy, obviously, have raised their game and we’re a much deeper team because of it.”
The depth allowed the Grizzlies to overcome an ugly second period which saw the Clippers score three times — Brendan Shane, Cole Maier and Nicolas Carrier — and go to the third with the lead.
“That third period was important because we wanted to focus on playing a certain way, with good habits.”
The Grizzlies and Kings will likely play a 2-3-2 series with Games 3, 4 and, if necessary 5, in Powell River next Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Games 6 and 7, if necessary would then be back at The Q Centre.
LOOSE PUCKS: Tickets for the first two Grizzlies’ playoff games go on sale at noon on Monday at The Q Centre. . . . Alberni Valley finished the season on a high note Saturday, beating the Kings 3-1 in Powell River. The Bulldogs will open post-season in Nanaimo on Tuesday.
bdrewry@timescolonist.com
