One game into the 2014-15 B.C. Hockey League playoffs and the Victoria Grizzlies are virtually in a must-win situation, losing the opener of their best-of-seven series against the Powell River Kings 7-2 on Tuesday night.
The 2-3-2 format sets up that scenario as the Grizzlies will play host to Game 2 tonight at 7 at The Q Centre before the scene switches to Hap Parker Arena for Game 3, 4 and 5 (if needed).
You don’t need a mathematician to figure out going down 0-2 and heading on the road would be disastrous with the next three games in one of the toughest BCHL buildings to win in.
The lopsided loss ends a seven-game win streak for the Grizzlies, who earned the team home-ice advantage, which went out the window in Game 1.
“We’re not afraid to play in their rink, but certainly [Game 2] is important because we blew our first home-ice advantage and we need to at least get a split,” said dejected Grizzlies general manager and head coach Craig Didmon.
“Over confidence. I think we thought it was going to be easy. I don’t think they believed me when I said it would be a new season and that their team would be coming out harder than they’ve been all year. They showed us by taking it to us.”
To rub it in, the game was played before fewer than 400 fans in an awfully quiet building.
“It’s the old cliché, take it game-by-game. You know it’s going to be a tough series. You know they’ve probably been one of the best teams down the stretch and we weren’t and that’s why we lost second place,” said Kings head coach Kent Lewis. “They’re a great hockey club that played well down the stretch. For us, if we play our game we can be pretty good. We just have to be consistent.”
They did it on Tuesday, breaking open the game with three goals in the last 4:19 of the second period, just 60 seconds after the Grizzlies had cut it to 2-1 on Brett Gruber’s power-play goal.
The Kings opened the scoring 5:51 into the first period when Nick Halagian squeezed the puck through Grizzlies goaltender Mike Stiliadis off a faceoff won by Stephen Hiff. Ross Hnidy made it 2-0 at 12:10 of the second period, but Gruber got one back on a power play at 14:41.
Brent Lashuk, Halagian (with his second) and Jarid Lukosevicius, on a 5-on-3 power-play with 6.9 seconds left in the second period, gave the visitors a 5-1 lead into the intermission.
Jay Mackie got one back for Victoria at 8:43 of the third but Hiff (1:13 later) and Mitch Hawes closed it.
IN THE DEN: Jake Emilio has accepted a scholarship to Colorado College beginning this fall, and the Grizzlies’ defenceman also took a double-minor for spearing at the final buzzer.
mannicchiarico@timescolonist.com
