Forward Matthew Wood, seen practising on March 30, has scored for the Grizzlies in both games against the Langley Rivermen. ADRIAN LAM, TIMES COLONIST)
The B.C. Hockey League Coastal Conference first-round playoff series between the fifth-seed Victoria Grizzlies and fourth-seed Langley Rivermen provided a bit of everything over the first two games on the Lower Mainland.
A tightly-played 3-2 opening win by the Rivermen, with the winning goal scored in the last minute of regulation time, was followed by an 8-3 Grizzlies blowout victory in the second game.
The third and fourth games are Tuesday night and Wednesday night at the Q Centre.
“The playoffs are pressure. I thought we responded well after a tough opening loss with a tremendous team effort in the second game,” said Grizzlies GM and head coach Craig Didmon.
“That’s what you need in the playoffs. We have to continue to play our way against a good-shooting, solid and big Langley squad.”
Six-foot-three freshman forward Matthew Wood, finalist for both the BCHL MVP and top rookie awards and being touted as a top-10 selection for the 2023 NHL draft, scored in both games for the Grizzlies to continue unabated after winning both the league regular-season goals and points titles.
The Alberni Valley Bulldogs and Nanaimo Clippers, meanwhile, took 2-0 leads in their opening-round series. The Coastal top-seed Bulldogs are in Duncan Tuesday and Wednesday to face the eighth-seed Cowichan Valley Capitals, who gave the overwhelmingly favoured Bulldogs all they could handle over the first two games in Port Alberni.
The third-seed Clippers were in Surrey on Monday night playing the sixth-seed Eagles in the third game of their series. The game was in progress at press time. The fourth game is Tuesday in Surrey. The Clippers’ seamless-skating forward Sean Donaldson, a finalist for the BCHL MVP award and headed to NCAA Div. 1 Cornell, had two goals and two assists over the first two games.
The other Coastal Conference opening-round series was tied 1-1 between the second-seed Chilliwack Chiefs and seventh-seed Coquitlam Express heading into the third game Monday night in Coquitlam.
cdheensaw@timescolonist.com
