Above Photo: Denny Monahan (pictured right) battles with a Bulldogs during the Grizzlies home opener on September 27th (Photo: Kyle Robinson)
Victoria, BC ~ The Victoria Grizzlies get ready to host two Island rivals this weekend at the Q Centre, as the Alberni Valley Bulldogs will make the trip down on Friday night at 7:00 PM before the Nanaimo Clippers are in the Garden City on Saturday night at 6:00 PM.
Victoria is coming off a three game road trip last week where they picked up wins in two out of three, just falling in their last game to the Prince George Spruce Kings. It was a rough go for a while with the team having lost five straight, but seem to have found their stride as of late. They had picked up seven out of a possible eight points before that loss in Prince George.
This weekend will be a big one for the Grizzlies who are trying to continue those positive ways against first a Bulldogs team who are just above them in the standings. Alberni has 21 points on a 10-4-1 record through 15 games to put them second in the Coastal Conference with the Grizzlies at fifth with an 8-5-2 record for 18 points. On top of that the Grizzlies are looking for revenge after a 4-3 loss in Alberni where they felt that external factors out of their control changed the outcome of the game.
The Grizzlies also defeated the Bulldogs in their only trip to the Q Centre so far this year 9-3. It was a perfect home opener for Victoria to say the least on that night and they will look to reincarnate some of that energy.
As it so often is, the Alberni Valley Multiplex has been a stronghold for them as they have a 9-0-1 record at home. They do however have the worst road record in the Conference and second worst in the BCHL at 1-4-0.
For tickets you can skip the line and buy online here!
Nanaimo comes to Victoria looking for something to go their way on Saturday. It has been a tough beginning to the year for a Clippers team that many had pegged to be a force in the Costal Conference. With a 6-1 loss on Saturday last week to Chilliwack, they are now 9th out of 10 in the conference with a 4-8-2 record. They are 1-5-1 in their last six games heading into Friday night’s meeting with Langley Rivermen.
The Clippers main weapon is their powerplay which is tops in the Coastal Conference and third in the league at 28.0%. Their issues have arisen on the back end however with multiple numbers telling the story. Nanaimo has the second worst Penalty Kill in the BCHL, killing off just 75% of penalties they take. On top of that stopping the puck and keeping it out of their net has also been a struggle. They are giving up 4.14 goals against per game and have a team save percentage of .892. They will look to try and right the ship this week with new goaltender; Otto Nuto from Helsinki, Finland. This past week they also signed former Alberni Valley Bulldog and Merritt Centennial: Jimmy Lyver.
Tickets to Saturday Night are available here.
Who’s Hot?
Oliver Auyeung-Ashton: The fan favorite Grizzly goaltender has been great for the Grizzlies since returning from an injury in the second game of the year. He holds a 3-0-0 record since his return, with a 1.66 GAA and .939 SV%. He is a perfect 4-0-0 record this season. With his last appearance, Oliver moved up to fifth all time in goaltender games played in franchise history. He also jumped ahead of Kurtis Chapman in wins with 39.
Oscar Pantzare: Oscar seems to be adjusting to the North American game just fine, coming to Canada for his first year of hockey outside of Sweden. Oscar scored on Saturday last weekend against Prince George and had an assist in the two games prior. The Stockholm native is up to two goals and five points in 12 games this season. He seems poised to break out.
Landon Mackie: When you look up, “Playing the Game the Right Way”, there is a picture of Landon Mackie. The Grizzlies sophomore continues to be one of the most effective players whenever he is out there, whether it be; forechecking, driving the net or killing penalties. The hometown boy has been rewarded with extra minutes on the second line at times with some injuries in the lineup and he has not disappointed. Last season he recorded two goals and five points in 42 games. In his last nine games, he has three goals and five points. He has doubled his goal output from last year already this year.
