Victoria Grizzlies head coach Craig Didmon was busy in Boston and Buffalo last weekend checking on the progress of some young B.C. Hockey League prospects.
Before he left he chatted with the B次元官网网址 Gazette on the teamB次元官网网址檚 season to date and his sense of how the players are responding to the systems put in place since he was restored to the job in late November.
B次元官网网址淭o be a champion in this league is a difficult task; it just takes a 24/7 work habit,B次元官网网址� he said after his team dropped its second game of the week at home, 4-3 in overtime to Cowichan Valley on Dec. 30. B次元官网网址淪ome guys are taking for granted how good this league is B次元官网网址� We have to learn how important every shift is; a strong back check is critical.B次元官网网址�
The speed of the game and the skill level of players on every team can see momentum shift in a heartbeat, and the Grizzlies have certainly experienced their share of turnabouts this season.
With 21 games to go in the regular season, the playoffs are not so far away. And thereB次元官网网址檚 plenty of talent in the lineup, from veterans Dane Gibson and Garrett Forster and rookies Brett Gruber and Matthew Kennedy up front, to offensive minded blueliners to the netminding duo Didmon considers a solid 1-2 punch.
No. 1 man Michael Stiliadis, 20, is the 2014 Royal Bank Cup MVP with the Manitoba junior leagueB次元官网网址檚 Dauphin Kings, while 18-year-old Sean Cleary has shown he can be competitive, the coach said.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l be leaning on (Stiliadis) down the road. His game has just got better and better as the seasonB次元官网网址檚 gone on. Sean is a very respectful backup and will be a number one goaltender in the BCHL next year.B次元官网网址�
Some tweaking does need to be done in the defensive zone, Didmon noted.
With a number of defencemen who can generate offence, players like Miers Moore (four goals, 25 assists), Jake Emilio (6-11-17) and Kevin Massy (4-12-16), itB次元官网网址檚 almost like having four forwards out there, he said. However, it can sometimes leave the team in the tricky spot if thereB次元官网网址檚 a turnover.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got so many offensive weapons that they want to leave the (defensive) zone,B次元官网网址� he said. At the same time, he adds, B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 want to stifle their creativity.B次元官网网址�
Playing a better game in the neutral zone, making good decisions and practising better puck management is going to serve the grizzlies well down the stretch, Didmon said.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 going to be a tough second half. If we can continue to stay in second place, I think weB次元官网网址檒l be in good shape come playoff time.B次元官网网址�
Last weekend, the Grizzlies followed up a 6-3 home loss to Powell RIver and the OT loss to Cowichan Valley with a 6-3 home win over the Caps here Friday and a 4-1 road loss to the Kings on Saturday on the Sunshine Coast.
The results left the Grizzlies (17-12-1-7) two points back of Powell River (18-14-0-8) in second place in the Island Division, but with three games in hand on the Kings.
A bizarre twist in the schedule sees the Grizzlies head to Powell River for two more games this Friday and Saturday (Jan. 9-10). The Kings have won three of five against Victoria so far and the teams play just once more after this weekend, Feb. 21 at The Q Centre in the fourth-last game of the season.
But itB次元官网网址檚 certainly not a two-way race for second spot. Entering this weekB次元官网网址檚 play, Alberni Valley (18-13-1-3) sat just two back of Victoria with two games in hand on the Grizzlies. The last-place Capitals (15-24-1-1), who have gone 11-6-1 since Nov. 22 and beat front-running Nanaimo twice after a dreadful start, sat eight back of the Bulldogs.
Nanaimo, the highest-scoring team in the BCHL, enjoys a nine-point bulge over Powell River.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
