I promised this before but haven't got around to it. I had a couple of very interesting chats with 2 of the stars and real "good guys" of this league.
Connor Reilly is one of 3 brothers on the league-leading Penticton Vees and currently tied for 3rd in BCHL scoring with linemate Mario Lucia. Him and Ryan are 20-year old twins, meanwhile 18-year-old younger brother Mike is a draft pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets and leads the BCHL in scoring for defensemen. As a matter of fact, Penticton now has 7 of the top 8 scorers in the league and 9 of the top 11. Before Wednesday's game in Merritt, I spoke with Connor Reilly about the success of his team, his relationship with his brothers and their future in Minnesota.
The other interview is with David Bondra, who, yes, is the son of former NHL great Peter Bondra. He's 3rd on the Chilliwack Chiefs in scoring, and has been a big part of the resurgence of that franchise in the movie from Quesnel to Chilliwack (ironically, the 2 players ahead of him in scoring are 2 of the very few Millionaires left, Malcolm Gould and Derek Huisman). He had a tough season in the USHL last year with Chicago but has exploded this season in Chilliwack. David hails from Maryland where he lives with his famous dad. We talked about all this and his move to Canada before the Cents game in Chilliwack this past Friday.
In this edition, I talk with a guy who has found his comfort in Merritt, after a stint in the WHL with Swift Current. Here's one of the more "serious" guys on the team, Brandon Bruce:
It was another strange game to make sense of, and one that Merritt probably thought they should have had, but the Chilliwack Chiefs were tactful in their approach in a crucial game for their 2nd place hopes
the first period was one of the strangest periods I've ever seen. Merritt fired everything towards the goal (and I think the Chilliwack shot counters were counting any puck that entered the Chiefs zone a shot on goal), and wound up outshooting the Chiefs 21-7, but I thought Chilliwack was the better team. Most of Merritt's shots were perimeter floaters with no traffic, and it was the easiest 21 save period that any goalie might ever see. You would think that the Centennials were all over the Chiefs, but this simply wasn't the case, and backup Bryton Udy wasn't as busy as he appeared to be on the boxscore. Out of 21 shots, I counted 1 mediocre scoring chance
meanwhile on the other end, the Cents were able to avoid getting pinned in their own zone, but a few defensive breakdowns/mental errors led to numerous quality scoring chances for the Chiefs. Despite just 7 shots, I think they must have had 5 or so grade A scoring chances, and they converted on 2 of them. The first was a wicked wrister from the top of the left circle by Hutchinson (his 1st of the season) to make it 1-0, and that was followed up by David Bondra getting set up on the doorstep by Malcolm Gould to make it 2-0 (could have been a Merritt tripping penalty on the play that wasn't called, and I think confused the Cents)
the 1st period wound down with Dylan Chanter trying to jumpstart his team. He instigated a fight with the smaller, skilled Bondra, and David (3 years older than Dylan) obliged him. I give both guys credit, as Chanter took on someone 3 years older, and Bondra took on someone significantly bigger. It was mostly a wrestling match with a few non-destructive jabs each way, but all in all, no harm done
the 2nd period, the Cents seemed to come out flying, as if inspired from the last minute fight by Chanter. Unlike the first period, they had the Chiefs pinned in their own zone for much of the time and applied some heavy pressure. They had plenty of scoring chances too, and outshot Chilliwack 15-6, but Bryton Udy and his defense held the door shut and held Merritt off the scoresheet, including an unbelievable last minute save by Udy off of Brandon Pfeil, who appeared to have half an open net from the slot
the 2nd period ended just like the first, with a scrap, as Billy Marshall took on Josh Hansen (who earlier tried to challenge Payton Schaefer), and although Marshall lost his footing at the end, he was able to throw some hard rights and efficiently block the punches coming his way, so I would give him the victory... another attempt to try and spark his club (this was the first time in 6 meetings with the 2 teams that the game got really emotional)
in the 3rd period, I think Merritt was a bit dejected from their lack of success in a dominant 2nd period. They had a big drop-off in emotion and intensity, but on the tail end of a power play, on a bit of a broken play, Regan Soquila (back in the lineup after missing just 1 game to injury) set up a streaking Evan Stack, who cut in down the right wing and snapped a wicked wrister past the stick side of Udy to spoil the shutout and get the Cents on the board. Chad Brears was given the only assist, and he should have had the 2nd one, but the first assists should have definitely gone to Soquila. This was the 1st goal in over 100 minute of hockey for Merritt, and only the 11th goal in 6 games (10 of them from the 1st line)
the early goal sparked the Cents and they seemed to have a lot of jump, buzzing in the Chiefs zone, sniffing out the equalizer... it looked like they had it when Reichert through cross-crease pass back-door for Low (who was very noticeable and dangerous tonight, but unlucky), and he fanned on an open net for a chance to tie it up. As I predicted at the time, that might be the best chance the Cents had to tie it, and it was
with just under 9 minutes left and the Chiefs on a power play, Spencer Graboski won a face-off back to Shay Laurent (best defenseman on the night at both ends of the ice, very noticeable in a good way), and then Graboski tipped Laurent's point shot down past the glove of Steel to restore the Chiefs 3-1 lead. At that point, Chilliwack stole back the momentum and never looked back, as the Cents didn't have much of a push-back. Less than 4 minutes later, with just 2 seconds left on a Chilliwack power play, it looked as though Chanter got tripped at the side of the goal, and before Merritt could protest, the puck was centered on top of the crease for Dhaliwal, and he made no mistake to make it 4-1 and put the game out of reach
the rest of the game (5 minutes) was an effective use of clock management by the Chiefs, as they didn't really give Merritt a sniff, and put it on cruise control for the 4-1 victory. Shockingly, after getting outshot 36-13 through 2 periods, it was Chilliwack who outshot Merritt 17-7 in the 3rd, though it didn't feel like the period was that lopsided (much like the 1st period didn't seem that lopsided for Merritt)
The coveted "Fred Page Cup", awarded to the BCHL Champions each year, was on display at the Prospera Centre, as it makes its way around all the buildings in the BCHL. This is what the Centennials are fighting for:
*The refereeing in this game was certainly not the "issue" of Merritt. They got the majority of the breaks and "got away" with more, but I thought both teams got away with far too many obvious "must-calls", and it made the game very tough for the players, to be able to read what they could or couldn't get away with. On two of the Chilliwack goals, there should have been penalties (once to Merritt, once to Chilliwack), and them not being called led to confusion and chaos
*Tyler Steel had a very underrated game for someone who gave up 4 goals on 30 shots. He might have faced less than Udy, but the amount of scoring chances he faced was much higher, definitely in the double digits again. I felt that once again the goalie was kind of hung out to try, not just with a lack of offense, but with too much indifference defensively, as evidenced when Anderson White was allowed to walk from the right point right into the slot for a point blank opportunity when it was already 4-1 (the last clip on the highlights)
*One of the most disappointing things for Merritt about losing this game is that, minus Sean Maktaak, they iced a full roster of healthy players. Meanwhile Chilliwack had 4 significant injuries plus a significant suspension to 1st-liner Derek Huisman. As a result, they were forced to play with 4 AP players (two of them 15 year olds, one a 16 year old), including an entire 4th line of AP's
*Ultimately, it's hard to blame the Cents for their recent struggles, which include 3 straight losses and 4 out of the last 5 games. It is almost unheard of at the junior level to play 9 games in 15 days, unless it's the playoffs. I'm not sure why the schedule worked out this way, but the Cents have been beaten down with hockey games and travel of late, and with 47 games, have now played at least 2 more than anybody else in the league, and at least 3 more than any playoff team on either conference. The fatigue really showed in the last couple games, especially the 3rd period vs Penticton and tonight vs Chilliwack. There was just no gas left in the tank, and that's something that's hard to blame the players for
*keep in mind that with Chilliwack winning tonight and holding 4 games in hand, if they win all 4, the deficit is just 2 pts (1 game), and all of a sudden this stranglehold on 2nd place for the Cents is on thin ice. With 3 of the next 4 games coming up against the Vernon Vipers, a bad stretch here could see Merritt fighting for their playoff lives instead of for home ice advantage
*the good news is, with a full week off now to rest and recuperate, come next Friday's game in Vernon, the Cents should be ready and hungry, and hopefully with the least busy schedule of anyone in the last month and a half, they can use that to their advantage and go on a bit of a run heading into the playoffs
In the meantime, here are the highlights from the 4-1 loss in Chilliwack:
(later this weekend I will try to post my interview with Peter Bondra's son David Bondra, as well as Penticton's sniper and the league's current 3rd leading scorer, Connor Reilly. Both were very well spoken and had some interesting things to say about their team and family background)
Merritt 26-13-2-5 (59 pts) - 2nd in Interior
LAST GAME: 9-0 loss to Penticton on Wednesday (lost 3 of their last 4)
Chilliwack: 22-17-1-2 (47 pts) - Tied with Prince George for 3rd in Interior (with 1 game in hand)
LAST GAME: 5-2 loss to Westside on Wednesday
*Chilliwack has 4 games in hand on Merritt. The Cents have 14 games left, Chilliwack has 18
Season Series: Merritt 4-1 vs Chilliwack (outscored them 15-7), but 1-1 in Chilliwack with just 1 goal in each game (2-2 overall in those 2 games combined)
there's no question the Centennials are in a bit of a funk right now, with 3 losses in 4 games, including against 2 teams (Alberni Valley and Nanaimo) that they expected to beat
from last Friday (when they left Merritt for the Island at 5:30am on a 7 game winning streak) to this Friday (where they're coming off 3 losses in 4 games, including an embarassing 9-0 blowout at the hands of Penticton), the team has been on both ends of the emotional spectrum
offense for Merritt has definitely dried up lately after scoring 7 on Salmon Arm and 5 on Chilliwack recently. The last 6 games, they have never scored more than 3 times and only 13 goals total during this span. 9 of the 10 goals scored in the last 5 games have been from the first line (the Cents are hoping to get Regan Soquila back in the lineup tonight). And with an average of just 3.07 goals per game, Merritt is the lowest scoring playoff team and tied with Alberni Valley for 3rd lowest overall in the league
it's funny how things work when it comes to goaltending. Lino Chimienti recently stole the spotlight with 5 straight wins (3 shutouts in that span) and being named the BCHL player of the week. Since then, he has lost 3 straight, giving up 15 goals during that span. Meanwhile, despite the minor skid the Cents are on right now, Tyler Steel, who watched Lino from the sidelines during his hot run, is now the hot goaltender, having won 3 straight, and giving up just 1 goal in all those games for a total of 3 goals against
For Merritt, you have to think that fatigue has played a factor in their recent drop-off. Tonight's game in Chilliwack caps off a ridiculous stretch of 9 games in 2 weeks (15 days), from Friday to Friday. This is a tough game to come into Chilliwack this tired and emotionally upset
the Chiefs are also on a bit of a funk... in December, they went on a tear winning 7 straight games and getting 15 of a possible 16 points during that stretch. Since then, they have really struggled to gain much consistency, as evidenced in the last 5 games where they have gone 2-2-1-0. And they are the coldest playoff team in the last 10 games, with just 3 victories in that span
like the Centennials, Chilliwack has been giving up more goals lately than they're used to, and are also struggling to keep up offensively with much of the scoring burden being on the top line
while both teams tonight will look to get on track, Merritt still has a decent cushion to work with and some breathing space in the 2nd spot. For Chilliwack, they want to get on track, but they also need points quite badly. Even though they still have a shot at 2nd if they win their games in hand on the Cents, their primary focus is to hold off the struggling Vipers for the final playoff spot. Vernon is currently 6 points back with 1 game in hand. But there is also the intense battle for 3rd. Chilliwack is tied in points with PG with 1 game in hand, but both teams will desperately want to at least sneak into 3rd in order to avoid the "hot-as-the-sun-itself" Penticton Vees
the key for Merritt tonight to try and generate some more offense will be to play a team game, stick to the fundamentals, and don't try and be a hero. A few times over the last few games, some guys have tried to do too much on their own and it's resulted mostly in turnovers rather than scoring chances.
With both teams heavily reliant on their top lines, I would expect lines 2-4 to cancel each other out, and the better top line will have a good chance of deciding this game
I'm sure the coaching staff will also emphasize team defense for tonight's game. The goaltenders have been far too busy the last few games, especially vs Penticton when the Cents gave up 51 shots, and quality scoring chances well into the double digits
*I haven't received the lineup for tonights game, but according to John O'Connor of the Merritt News (who spoke with coach Luke Pierce after Wednesday's game), there's a good chance that Regan Soquila could return to the lineup tonight. Unfortunately, Sean Maktaak may have suffered a broken bone in his foot when heroically blocking a slap shot from the point on Wednesday (he missed the entire 2nd and 3rd period), and he is out of the lineup indefinitely
Opening face-off tonight is at 7:00pm. Our pre-game show gets going on Q101 starting at 6:30. You can tune in on Q101 FM in Merritt or online at Q101.ca
It was a busy night for the 4 referees trying to keep control of this one
It was a night to forget, no doubt about it, but you can't judge a book by its cover. The score got out of hand on the Cents, but the boys showed heart and guts in the way they battled and competed right to the end.
when you're playing a team with 25 straight wins and three 1st lines that can beat any top line in the league, well you don't want to give them any sort of early life to give them a jumpstart. But unfortunately, that's what happened. Steven Fogarty made a nifty move out of the right corner to get around Billy Marshall and shoveled a backhander over the left shoulder of Chimienti to open the scoring just 17 seconds into the game (still don't get why they gave the goal to Benik and never changed it... he was nowhere near the puck when it went in)
a goal for Penticton that early could have easily opened the floodgates right then and there, but the Cents deserve credit for pushing back and generating some offensive chances of their own. They had a fair amount, and even looked pretty good on their first power play, but unfortunately, they just don't have the type of "finish" that the Vees do, and you have to give credit to Vees netminder Michael Garteig for being sharp and his defense/forwards for committing to defense in front of him and taking away many 2nd chances
while Merritt couldn't capitalize on their power play chance, Penticton only needed one to make the Cents pay. They looked extremely confident and dominant in their set-up and worked the puck around perfectly, not allowing the Cents to get it out. Not only is their puck movement crisp and fast, but they also have a high hockey IQ, as the players without the puck know exactly where to go when, and Ryan Reilly snuck in through a seam to get set up by Fogarty for an easy tap-in to make it 2-0
as the 2nd period began, I said it right away... the Centennials were still very much in it, but they HAD to have the next goal... that 3rd goal would be the one that decides which way this game goes... just as I made this comment, Fogarty set up Benik on the doorstep to make 3-0 just 22 seconds into the 2nd period. When you give up 1 goal seconds into the first period, that's deflating, when you give another one up seconds into the 2nd period, that's just devastating
to Merritt's credit, they didn't let the early goal in the 2nd phase them either, as they stayed hungry and tried to fight back. But again they were snake-bit and stifled by the Vees team defense (an underrated aspect of their game), along with the sharp tending by Michael Garteig (who leads the league in all goalie stats, including tying Lino now with 4 shutouts).
in the 2nd period, just like the first, Lino Chimienti was counted on a lot, and to his credit, he stood tall and did everything he could to keep the Cents in it. It'd be hard to blame him on any of the 3 goals anyways
the one area that the Cents were lacking in is just "helping out their goaltender"... on far too many occasions the Vees would get point blank chances in the high and low slot, whether it be one-timers or guys just being uncontested and being allowed to walk right in for a grade A scoring chance. This was simply too much of a burden on Lino, and eventually it got to him in the 3rd
the 3rd period the Centennials didn't seem to come out with a whole lot of energy, and they struggled to generate many scoring chances in the first couple minutes, to which Penticton responded with the figurative "nail in the coffin"
to back up my prior point, Bryce Gervais was allowed to walk out of the right halfwall right into the slot and snuck one through the legs of an exhausted Chimienti to make the game 4-0. This was the point where the Centennials seemed to play deflated and frustrated, more than anything else. There were again a few guys who, out of frustration, tried to do too much themselves and lost the puck without even a shot on goal, forgetting the whole "team" aspect of hockey, which tends to happen when a game gets out of hand
as another sprinkle of salt in the wound, and to back up "the kind of night it was", Steven Fogarty won a neutral zone face-off forward for his team into the Merritt zone, and Mancuso, backing up, tried to make a D to D pass to Marshall but fanned on it, allowed Fogarty to steal and bury the puck from the bottom of the right circle over the shoulder of a clearly beat down Chimienti. I think a lot of people expected, at this point, that Chimienti would get the mercy hook, but he was left in there the whole way, which turned out to be a mistake
out of sheer anger and frustration, the Cents lost their cool and started to get really chippy and violent with the Vees, and this culminated in Sabourin instigating a fight with an unwilling Bryce Gervais. Because Sabourin started the fight and threw the only punches, he received 2 minutes for instigating, 5 minutes for fighting and a game misconduct, resulting in a 7 minute Penticton power play with just 5:40 left in the game. And the Vees would make them pay...
Wade Murphy scored a wicked one-timer on the first power play for Penticton to make it 6-0. That was followed up by DJ Jones leaning into a slap shot at the top of the left circle to get his first goal and point as a Vee to make it 7-0, then Wade Murphy walked into the high slot and fired a shot stick side on Lino to make it 8-0, followed by Connor Reilly walking out of the right corner (again uncontested) and tucking the puck through Lino's legs on top of the crease to mercifully cap the scoring at 9-0 (I have no idea how the goal was awarded to Wade Murphy, who I don't even think was on the ice... 2nd bozo scoring play awarded). 4 power play goals in 1 and a half minutes was the end result, that was the damage, and it once again emphasized the need to stay disciplined against the top power play in the league from a literal "all-star team"
*Overall, the score was definitely not reflective of Merritt's effort. The scoreboard makes it seem like they didn't show up, when that simply wasn't the case. There were a few dominant shifts which the fans really appreciate. At the end of the day, they were overwhelmed by Penticton's skill, and it's simply not fair to expect any team to be able to keep up with an all-star team, which is what Penticton is
*Based on how fired up the Cents were before this game, I think had Lino made that first save off of Fogarty, and had the Cents scored the 1st goal (I know, coulda, shoulda, woulda), the tone of this game might have been a lot different. But the early goal in the 1st and 2nd was just too much to be able to overcome emotionally
*Despite the fact that Merritt gave up 51 shots, there were a lot more directed towards the net that never got through. As the game wore on and the score got out of hand, the Cents commitment to defense started to slide a bit, but especially in the 1st period and a few times in the 2nd, the guys would sacrifice their bodies in front of pucks and, as the saying goes, do everything it takes to get the job done. This included a heroic block by Sean Maktaak in the first period that saw him leave the game and not return (hopefully not that serious since he recently missed 5 games due a concussion and Merritt is already without Regan Soquila). But at least for the first half of the game, Merritt's heart and mind was in the right place, and they just couldn't buy a break offensively, or defensively, when you consider the timing of the goals to start the 1st and 2nd
*Lino Chimienti winds up being the scapegoat very unfairly. As you can hear in the highlight (if you can call it that) package, he made a lot of key stops, and he was extremely busy facing 51 shots. Eventually he was just out of gas (like most of the team I think) and hung out to dry. And he never got the mercy hook. I'm sure the players feel bad for him, because he really battled hard all night
*Michael Garteig also deserves lots of credit making 32 saves on 32 shots. His players helped him much more than Lino was helped, but he sometimes unfairly gets criticized for being a product of the teams he plays in front of (Penticton and Powell River last year). Though his league-leading save percentage speaks for itself, and with 3 shutouts in his last 4 games, he now ties Lino Chimienti for the league lead in shutouts with 4
*I understand the fans passion and loyalty to the team, which I think is great, and I understand their anger and frustration with the game tonight. But when things got chippy, during a few stoppages and even after the game was complete, I was surprised to hear some of the comments coming from the crowd directed towards the officials and the Penticton bench. Vocally supporting your team is one thing, but verbally assaulting the opposition is a whole different thing. Our fans are some of the loudest and proudest in the league, but I'm sure we also want a reputation of being classy. I think that line was crossed on a couple of occasions tonight, mainly during Penticton's marathon power play. And it seemed like all that negative attention only spurred on the Vees further and helped them feast with 4 power play markers. Any winning team is a hated team, especially when they have all but one of the league's top scorers and are on a 25 game winning streak. But you don't want to give them even more motivation than necessary, which is what I think a few of that fans did tonight with their comments. Remember, these type of teams "love" being hated and thrive on it. Keep that in mind if you think you're "helping" your team
Here are the highlights (yes, there are a few for Merritt too) from a pretty forgetful night vs the Vees:
........ the Centennials will get a serious practice day in on Thursday before traveling to Chilliwack on Friday to start a 4 game road trip. They won't return home for a game now until Valentine's Day on Tuesday, February 14th, when they host the Vernon Vipers
Merritt: 26-12-2-5 (59 pts) - 2nd in Interior
LAST GAME: 3-2 loss in Nanaimo on Sunday
Penticton: 37-3-0-2 (76 pts) - 1st in Interior
LAST GAME: 3-1 win over Prince George on Sunday (won 25 in a row... you read that right)
Season Series: Merritt 1-3-0-1 (Penticton has outscored them 21-10)
THE MOST HYPED GAME OF THE SEASON IS FINALLY HERE!
this is the first real "stumble" in quite some time for Merritt, as they are coming off 2 losses in their last 3 games during the island road trip. Overall, the last 4 games (including the 2-1 win over Westside one week ago) have had something missing and left something to be desired. Every season has it's speedbumps, but coming into a game with a team that's won 25 straight and easily the best team in the country, this stumble definitely comes at the wrong time
for a long time, especially during their 7 game winning streak, Merritt was finding ways to win in various ways (mostly through balanced scoring and contributions from everyone, including dmen). Now they appear to be lacking that confidence and swagger, that winning feeling. It's tough to get that back in time for tonight's game, but if they manage to upset the Vees, there's no question they'll have more swagger and confidence than they probably did after 7 straight wins
one of the biggest things missing in the last 4 games is that "depth". The 1st line has scored 9 of the last 10 goals during these 4 games (including Soquila setting up Mancuso for his first of the BCHL in Victoria), but tonight that will have to change, since Soquila (league's 8th leading scorer) is not playing due to a charlie horse suffered on his left leg in Nanaimo on Sunday
without Soquila, other lines will need to step up and not only play hard, but contribute tonight. Chances are, Merritt might need at least 4-5 goals to win this game. Why? The Vees are an offensive machine with 6 of the top 7 scorers in the league and 7 of the top 9. But number 7 and 8 on the list are both out of the lineup with injuries tonight, that being Soquila for Merritt and Mike Reilly for Penticton. They're both tied with 56 points, but Mike Reilly has done it in 10 less games (35 vs 45). Needless to say, Mike Reilly is easily the biggest offensive threat from the blueline in the league and has burned Merritt many times, so the Centennials will definitely be helped out with not having him in the lineup. It's a pretty fair trade, but the loss of Soquila means much more to Merritt, because they are nowhere near as deep offensively as the Vees
Penticton not only has 25 straight wins and are the top ranked team in the country, but they also have the best power play and penalty kill in the league, and by far the top ranked goaltender (Michael Garteig) who has 10 more wins (31) than the next closest goalie, and by far the best goals against average and save percentage. They have a league-leading 15 division 1 scholarship commitments, including 3 NHL draft picks (who have all played like it this season)
based on all the circumstances, Merritt will definitely need to come up with their best game of the season: they have to show discipline and stay out of the box (don't want to tempt fate with a 32% power play), they have to play with the urgency and desperation of a game 7 of the Fred Page Cup. It will take every guy digging in (especially without Soquila) and finding an extra gear to keep up with the Vees. Lino Chimienti is scheduled to get the start, and there's no question that with as much firepower as the Vees have, he will have to be the 1st star in this game and outplay Garteig
you might think that with the Vees having all but mathematically secured 1st place in the BCHL regular season, they might not have much motivation, but that's definitely not true. Head coach Fred Harbinson always keeps them on their toes and makes sure they never take their foot off the gas pedal. But right now, the motivation is there without their coach saying a word. The Vees are just 4 wins shy of tying the all time BCHL record of most consecutive wins (29) set by the New Westminster Royals in 1989-90. Believe me that with most of the team having scholarships and 1st place secured, this is the one unifying goal that keeps them jacked up every game, and every player on that team will want to be a part of history. So Penticton will come out as hungry as ever tonight
Opening face-off tonight is at 7:00pm, which means the pre-game show gets going at 6:30pm. You can tune in on Q101 FM in Merritt or online at Q101.ca
*So the lineups for Merritt change a bit with the absence of Regan Soquila, and Luke Pierce will give Jakob Reichert a chance to finally break out to his potential by playing on the top line with Stack and Brears. Here's how the lineups shape up for both teams:
MERRITT:
Evan Stack (91) Chad Brears (91) Jakob Reichert (93)
Silvan Harper (92) Brandon Bruce (93) Carter Shinkaruk (91)
Tyler Martin (93) Brayden Low (94) Sean Maktaak (92)
In the 4th edition of this very popular feature, Powell River Kings broadcaster Alex Rawnsley is back to host a chat with myself and Fraser Rodgers of the Penticton Vees on the slew of changes made for next season at the Board of Governors meetings last week in Richmond. These changes include cutting the number of games from 60 to 56, including a showcase tournament before the start of the regular season (which has been moved up by 2 weeks), and re-alignment with conferences/divisions. It was a very interesting chat the 3 of us had, a chat that lasted almost an hour and a half, but just 30 minutes on record. I will have the roundtable on the air in 4 parts over the 4 intermissions coming up in this week's 2 games (Wednesday + Friday), but that will be the condensed 20 minute version. This is the full 30 minute version so you can get the full scope of where this discussion took us.
*I want to simply say this on the matter: obviously the roundtable is based on the opinion of us broadcasters, but the BCHL message board has a very lengthy thread about the changes, and outside of the showcase (which is also surrounded by question marks), nobody seems very happy with these new changes. So the real opinion lies with you, not with us. Feel free to post your own thoughts on the matterin the comments section below.
Sorry I couldn't get these up on Monday like I promised, but my schedule got a little twisted with us getting stuck in Nanaimo one more night. So here are the audio highlights from all 3 games, starting with Alberni Valley on Friday, Victoria Saturday, and Nanaimo on Sunday.
*For the record, the loss on Friday was Merritt's first (in regulation anyways) since the blog launched in December. Just saying ;)
Thanks to Michelle Burton for putting together this poster (you can see it around town)
In case you haven't been made aware of this yet, Merritt has been entered in CBC's annual "Kraft Hockeyville" contest, for a chance to win $100,000 in arena upgrades and an NHL exhibition game right here in the Nicola Valley. Could you imagine? Winning this contest would mean in incredible amount to this town and enhance our image on the map. Not to mention the benefits to the long-term success of our beloved Merritt Centennials. But we need YOUR help! The details are on the above poster... we need MUCH more people to sign up and "join" our community bid online, and we need plenty of contributions of photos, videos and stories to help support our bid and give us a chance at the top 15 come February.
Just think what $100,000 can do for the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena, and to draw much larger crowds for Centennials games down the road. Don't just think, put your stories on paper (or on screen). I have already submitted a story of my ideas along with the story of the late Bob Murray (longtime contributor to the Merritt News with his "Country Boy" columns) about his massive contribution in getting the arena built.
***I'm gonna lay it on the line right now... I've seen the package that winning communities have put together in the past, and it is extremely impressive and detailed, with hundreds, if not thousands of supporters. We have one week left, and we have to FLOOD our community page with hundreds more people joining and posting their stories of "community/hockey pride" (Stories needed right now are about why Merritt deserves to win and what would be done with the money to upgrade). Don't wait for someone else and wonder "what could have been". Take the initiative, join our page, and give us a fighting chance to at least get into the top 15. And then who knows from there (top 5 communities get a substantial donation for arena upgrades as well). LET'S DO THIS MERRITT!!!
It was a physical war on the ice and a tight 60 minutes of hockey, but at the end of the day, the Centennials couldn't overcome a slow start and suffered their 2nd loss in 3 games on the island road trip, 3-2 to the Nanaimo Clippers.
the 1st period saw plenty of frantic action both ways with both goalies staying very busy (shots were 16 apiece), but the Centennials fell behind in the shot clock early and were on their heels a bit, as the refreshed Clippers got the early jump against the tired Cents
Lino was strong early and got a break on a shot that hit the post on a Clippers breakaway... the Centennials were able to climb back on the shot clock, but with a lot of perimeter shots that were easily handled by Faust (who fought his rebound control tonight and allowed for plenty of 2nd chances, though many of them were cleared by his defensemen)
the shots wound up even but Nanaimo had the much better scoring chances. In fact, I had them pegged at about 6-1 at least in that 1st period for the Clippers
Nanaimo would get rewarded for their strong early play and ability to create chances, as they got a lucky bounce on a spin-around shot from Clayton Chessa in the left circle that went off the shin off Correale and through the legs of Chimienti
the Clippers kept pushing right afterwards, and after a couple of great chances for Gordon, the puck wound up on the stick of the Clippers 16 year old Brendan Taylor who fired a wicked shot from the right circle over Lino's shoulder on the short side. 2 goals in 1:50 and Nanaimo was in control
the 2nd period saw the Centennials push a little harder and create more opportunities for offense, while Lino did well to give them a chance to climb back. Finally Harper found a hole behind the defense and Lamont set him up with a beautiful breakaway pass from center... Harper made a nifty deke to the backhand and slid the puck through the legs of Faust to get the Cents on the board and give the bench a big boost
Merritt followed up this goal with a lot of energy and pressure in the offensive zone, but their momentum was taken away by a late penalty. And just 8 seconds into the Clippers power play, Gladiuk won the face-off back, McCormack fired a shot on goal and Correale pounced on a juicy rebound for his 2nd of the game... 3 minutes after Merritt had got to within one, the Clippers scored a backbreaker to regain the 2 goal cushion and they finished the last few minutes as the stronger team
in the 3rd, despite playing the night before, the Centennials found some urgency they didn't have before and pushed really hard to climb back into it, like they did down 2-0 Friday night vs Alberni Valley. They fired tons of shots on goal, but again not a whole lot of grade A scoring chances. Defensively, the really contained the Clippers well though
With the 1st line tied up in their own zone, Regan Soquila (who was 8th in BCHL scoring coming into this game) took a really hard hit against the side boards from Clayton Chessa, and as the play went into the Clippers zone, Soquila remained on the ice in agony, then tried to crawl to the bench, unable to even stand up. It appeared like his left knee went into the boards awkwardly, and he had to be helped off the ice limping to the dressing room, and never came back. The injury looked extremely serious and came at the worst time with Merritt trying to come back in that game, and anticipating Penticton in their rink on Wednesday (now winners of 25 in a row after a 3-1 win over Prince George this afternoon). Soquila will be evaluated either Monday or Tuesday, but in my opinion, looks very doubtful for Wednesday's big showdown.
Here's the sequence of events that transpired. Images courtesy of Chris Koehn/Nanaimo Daily News (formerly of the Merritt Herald). Thanks Chris!
You can see in the first pic that Soquila's leg is up in the air. It
was either bent when he was hit by Chessa or it was a charley horse
from Chessa's knee to his thigh. The hit was a side body check by
Chessa and I don't think there was any intent to knee on knee. It
looked clean enough but Soquila tried to dodge it and appeared to have
been unlucky.
Soquila hits the ice, takes a second to register the agony and then
begins dragging himself to the bench. He made it as far as centre ice
before play was whistled down and he was helped off the ice.
Silvan Harper took Soquila's spot on the top line the rest of the game and fit in seamlessly... and just when Merritt needed a spark, they got one, as that line worked really hard to keep the puck in the offensive zone, and Chanter's shot from the right circle created a juicy rebound for captain Evan Stack who buried his 21st of the season to tie him with Brears for the team lead
The Cents would get a late power play with 6 minutes left, but unfortunately, they couldn't come up clutch. For the first time in 7 games, Merritt did not score a power play goal (on 5 tries) and that wound up being their ultimate undoing, as the Clippers lone power play marker wound up being the game winner
after the power play, the Centennials had trouble generating many chances to tie it up, and the Clippers played a great game of clock management, not even allowing Lino Chimienti to leave his net for the extra attacker... the Cents would come no closer, and the game ended with Merritt battling to even get the puck out of their own zone
*Faitgue was a clear factor in putting the Cents behind the 8-ball, but they deserve lots of credit for getting better as the game went on
*Although there weren't a lot of high quality scoring chances, Merritt still deserves credit for firing 46 pucks on Billy Faust the afternoon after playing against Victoria, going up against a team in Nanaimo that hasn't played since Friday
*Billy Faust looked shaky at times but effective, as he got lots of help from his team taking away 2nd chance opportunities when they arose... it was a real team effort for the Clippers
*Desperation is not something you can teach or coach, but something that comes into effect depending on various factors. This weekend, it looked like the Centennials were a little comfortable with their lead on 2nd place and felt that success would come naturally against the Coastal's non-playoff teams, while Nanaimo showed their hunger and urgency and won many puck battles in the game, climbing to within 5 points of Coquitlam for the final playoff spot with both teams having 19 games left, and 4 head to head meetings left as well. This was a game with the coaches stealing the spotlight, but for Nanaimo, it was as big a game as any outside of Coquitlam
*the game was very phsyical and had a nasty tone to it. The Clippers often tried to bully the Centennials around, but Merritt wouldn't back down... unfortunately, this wound up in a few penalties that I'm sure the guys would like to have back (including a bench minor), as discipline was an issue on the night and over the weekend
*in case you haven't heard by now, the reason I'm able to write this blog entry tonight instead of tomorrow is because the team is staying in Nanaimo due to very strong winds up to 100km/hour canceling all ferries for the day. I can't complain with an extra night in a hotel room, but it would have been a lot more enjoyable with a "W" in the column this afternoon
*the big question now shifts to "how will Merritt respond"? Wednesday night they will see possibly the best team in BCHL history, a Penticton squad that is just 4 wins shy of tying the New West Royals 20 year old record of 29 straight wins, and they need to come out with their best game of the season. They were STILL the last team to beat them, a 3-2 overtime win back on Nov 5 (in Penticton where the Vees were missing 5 top players to the World Junior A Challenge), and they might have the best chance of anyone in the league at being the NEXT team to beat them, provided they come out with a positive attitude and an elite effort, like the one we saw last weekend in the 3 straight home games vs Vernon, Chilliwack and Langley
Merritt: 26-11-2-5 (59 pts) - 2nd in Interior Conference
LAST GAME: 4-1 win over Victoria yesterday
Nanaimo: 18-15-0-7 (43 pts) - 5th in Coastal Conference (7 points back of 4th place Coquitlam with 1 game in hand)
LAST GAME: 3-2 overtime win over Surrey on Friday
*First and only meeting between these two teams
there is no question this will be the biggest test of the weekend for Merritt, and the first game in 5 where they play a team above .500, a team with something to play for
as you can see, Nanaimo is well rested after a big momentum win on Friday, while the Centennials were (surprisingly) pushed to their limits vs Victoria last night, and will enter this game with fatigue playing a factor
after a dominant weekend on home ice, the past 3 games (although Merritt has gone 2-1) have been 3 headscratchers, where something is missing, and something left to be desired. The Centennials were never "bad" in any of them, but they were far from their best, and did not play up to their potential. Instead they seemed to be playing down to the competition. Nanaimo is not a team that will allow Merritt to do that
the Centennials desperately need to find some balanced offense. They recently had 2 out of 4 games where every line scored at least once in that game (vs Salmon Arm and vs Chilliwack), but the past 3 games (aforementioned headscratchers), it's been entirely the first line. First Stack Brears with 2 vs Westside, then Stack with 2 vs Alberni Valley, then Brears with 2, Soquila with 1, and Soquila setting up the other goal vs Victoria. So technically, all 8 goals scored during the past 3 games have been from the first line. That is a definite area of concern. Even though it's not all an effort issue, line 2-4 need to find a way to break through, or Merritt can get themselves in serious trouble against the better teams, especially when you look at Penticton coming up on Wednesday
the Cents will also look to re-commit themselves to the focus of "team defense"; something they were great at last weekend in the 3 home games, but something that has been lacking at times in the last 3 games. The goaltenders, instead of thanking the players in front of them for making life easy, they've had to bail out the players with big saves far too many times (especially the last 2 nights)
this is the last game for Merritt before the highly anticipated and hyped meeting with Penticton on Wednesday, and the Vees (if they beat Prince George today) could come into that game on a 25 game winning streak. Therefore, the Cents need a big effort and a game where they smooth out all their wrinkles. They need to be flying high and injected with confidence. Any self-doubt come Wednesday could lead to a long and frustrating night
Nanaimo made a few moves at the deadline, both buying and selling, with the most significant deal seeing Colton Cyr go to Vernon and Clayton Chessa land in Nanaimo. The former Smoke-Eater sniper has just 1 assist through 3 games with his new club so far, but he could break out at any time
the Clippers are in an absolute dogfight for the final playoff spot with Coquitlam. The Express loss last night allows the Clippers to get within 5 points of them (with both teams having 19 games left) if they can beat Merritt. This means expect Nanaimo to come out desperate and hungry, and the Centennials will have to match that energy
Lino Chimienti will be the only fresh body in the lineup, as he draws back in between the pipes, and considering the desperation from the Clippers and the short turnaround for the Cents, he might be relied upon to make a few big stops in the 1st to allow the Cents to find their game and work off the fatigue (this is a game that the Cents will need to play on adrenalin)
despite all the storylines and implications, the spotlight for this game is on the 2 coaches: Luke Pierce will go up against his former Vernon Vipers coach Mike Vandekamp, where the 2 of them enjoyed much success a decade ago. Vandekamp is also of course a former coach in Merritt, and he took over the reigns in Nanaimo this season after leaving the Grande Prairie Storm of the AJHL for personal reasons (to be closer to his wife on the coast). I'm sure the two of them will downplay the meaning of this game, but believe me they both want to win it bigtime. Luke Pierce more for the significance of what it means (the student trying to conquer the teacher), and Mike Vandekamp to prove that he is still the "superior", but mostly for the 2 points and what it would mean for his team. It's a great storyline, and I hope to talk to both coaches before the game to get their thoughts on it
Opening face-off is at 3:00pm this afternoon, which means the pre-game show begins at 2:30pm. That's where/when you can hear from Luke Pierce and (hopefully) Mike Vandekamp on their first head to head meeting as coaches. You can tune in on the local station at Q101 FM in Merritt or online at Q101.ca
Truth be told, the Grizzlies were already quite tamed, but they got a little ferocious tonight and gave the Cents all they could handle. But it was a big, and you have to say almost mandatory bounceback after a devastating finish to the game in Alberni Valley which saw Merritt's winning streak end at 7:
the first period went just as anticipated, but the rest of the game did not. In the opening 20 minutes, Merritt came out looking like a determined bunch, and they took it to the Grizzlies who were playing extremely shorthanded (only 3 lines, which included 4 AP's, and 5 defensemen, one of whom is actually a forward). The Cents peppered the Grizzlies netminder Garrett Rockafellow with all sorts of shots, as planned, and had some grade A scoring chances, but he stood tall and got some help from his dmen at key times to keep the game scoreless. The Cents just couldn't finish
Tyler Steel wasn't overly busy in the first period, but out of 6 shots, he made 2-3 high quality stops
just when it looked like the Cents effort would be all for not, we saw a bit of justice from the night before. The Bulldogs scored their game winner with 3 seconds left in the game, and this time Regan Soquila led a quick, late rush into the offensive zone and set up Mancuso for a slap shot between the 2 faceoff circles, which went glove side, post and in, for his first career BCHL goal, and also came with just 3 seconds left on the clock. This was a huge one to make Merritt feel rewarded for their 1st period efforts
unlike the night before where Merritt got better as the game wore on, the opposite seemed to be true in this game. The Cents didn't come out of the gate in 2nd with nearly as much energy as the 1st, and the Grizzlies seemed to gain some momentum after a few strong shifts. After failing to convert on a dangerous-looking (and red-hot) power play, the Grizzlies converted just seconds later on a nifty 3-way passing playing between Smith, Kaiser and Hansen, who finished the play off with a nifty deke past Steel at the top of the crease
surprisingly, the Grizzlies never really had a physical let-down, and didn't show the fatigue that you would expect from a team playing with only 2/3 of a roster. They saw an opportunity to end a 6 game losing streak and they pushed hard, as the two teams traded chances but both goaltenders were solid again
suddenly, when they were needed to make a statement, the big boys broke through once again. Stack and Brears executed a perfect give and go on a 2 on 1, and Brears finished it off to give Merritt a 2-1 lead through 40 minutes
the 3rd period was much like the 2nd... the Grizzlies seemed determined to come back and make a game of it, but Tyler Steel was excellent between the pipes and forced into making a few too many "big" stops for anyone's liking I'm sure (both in the 2nd and 3rd period)
with Victoria on a power play and a chance to tie, Regan Soquila copied Evan Stack from the night before by cutting wide around the defense on the left wing, and he slid a backhander through the legs of Rockafellow for Merritt's FIRST shorthanded goal of the season (they were the last team to score one), and what wound up being a real momentum changer
despite the turn of events, the Grizzlies still didn't give up and had some good shifts in the Merritt zone, but the Centennials were determined to wind down the clock and they did so rather effectively.
The Grizzlies got a late power play to make things interesting, but a high sticking penalty of their own would end that power play just halfway through. Coach Victor Gervais decided to pull the goaltender with just over 2 minutes left and an offensive zone face-off to go 5 on 4, and although the Centennials had numerous chances on the yawning cage that they couldn't bury, they would finally break through with just seconds left in their "power play"... Lamont stole the puck at the Grizzlies blue line and had a clear lane to the goal down the right wing on what was a partial 2 on 1. But instead of firing the puck in himself, he made a very unselfish (and I would say risky) move by dishing it across to Chad Brears (lines were juggled a bit in the 3rd to get the Cents going) who was able to bury his 2nd, and with that goal re-take the team lead in goals with 21. Brears finished with 2 goals and an assist on the night
the late empty net tally was also (barely) on the power play, which allowed Merritt to go 1 for 3 on the power play and continue their streak of consecutive games with power play goals to 6. Their perfect night on the PK now has them 62 for 68 on the PK over the last 18 games (91.2%!!!!!!)
It looked at times as if the Centennials were playing down to their competition tonight, and Luke Pierce made it clear on the postgame show that he wasn't happy with a lot of the performances from individual guys who need to step up... the big line certainly did that again though, for a 3rd straight game, and they were dominant during most shifts that they were out there for
Merritt 25-11-2-5 (57 pts) - 2nd in Interior
LAST GAME: 3-2 loss in Alberni Valley yesterday (snapped a 7 game win/9 game point streak)
Victoria 18-25-0-0 (36 pts) - 6th in the Coastal Conference (14 pts back of Coquitlam for the final playoff spot, but they have 17 games left, Coquitlam has 20)
LAST GAME: 5-2 loss to Coquitlam yesterday (lost 6 in a row, outscored 46-14 during the skid)
*First and only meeting between the two teams
after a cold, pouring rain kind of day yesterday, the sun is shining on the Island today, so life goes on after a devastating loss in Alberni Valley last night
the loss last night might have been the biggest heartbreaker of the season, especially based on the circumstances, so the question is "where do you go from here"? How does the team get past it? I think it's a lot easier said than done, but that's the task at hand
the guys will play this game with a feeling they're unaccustomed to... the feeling of losing. It's a sting they haven't felt since Dec 29, and are certainly not used to it. The question will be how do they channel that feeling? They can either be dejected and play that way, or play with anger and hunger to avenge the results of last night
this is an important game for peace of mind. The Grizzlies have been mired in a miserable tailspin since the trading deadline and don't appear to be close to ending it. A Merritt loss tonight would raise a few alarm bells I'm sure with the coaches and the fans. The Cents can't afford to be beaten by two bottom-feeders back to back, especially when the 2nd team tonight is the coldest team in the league
Merritt will need to approach this game with the right mentality, and not overlook the Grizzlies despite all their struggles. The game should be a cakewalk if the Cents play their game and don't shoot themselves in the foot. A blowout win tonight could be effective in helping to forget yesterday entirely
ultimately, this weekend doesn't mean much in the standings for Merritt, as they still have a 10 point lead on Prince George and 11 point lead on Chilliwack for 2nd... essentially, this weekend is a tee-up for Penticton on Wednesday (if they beat Prince George tomorrow, they will enter that game on a 25-game winning streak), and the Centennials need to head into that game oozing with confidence and not doubting themselves, or it could be a long night. Therefore the game today and tomorrow are monstrous for their mental state come Wednesday
Victoria were the biggest sellers at the trading deadline, moving away all their top players (Wade Murphy, Jarryd TenVaanholt, Mike Collins, Taylor Pernerowski and goalie Jamie Tucker. They also lost all-star Wesley Myron to a season-ending injury/surgery). They've been playing with a bare-bones lineup ever since, including yesterday when they had just 10 regular skaters plus 3 AP's, but still played 6 players short of a full lineup. That is near impossible to overcome, no matter who you play
the one thing you can't overlook with Victoria is their power play. Even after the trading deadline, it continues to click with regularity. Just like Merritt's power play, Victoria has scored 5 straight games with the man advantage, including going 7 for 17 in their last 4. So the Cents might not realize it, but staying out of the box would be a good idea tonight
Victoria's head coach is also their owner, former NHL'er Len Barrie, and he has been quoted as saying that he feels confident with his team's ability to be near the top again next year with all the roster moves (mainly future considerations, which are players coming in at the conclusion of this season). But right now, during this 6 game skid, the Grizzlies are averaging just over 2 goals per game, and just under 8 goals against per game (over 8 in the last 5 games), so they are as ripe for the picking as anyone in the league right now. It's a great opportunity for Merritt to regain their swagger after what happened last night
Merritt will need to find scoring from a few more sources as well. Evan Stack and Chad Brears are the only 2 players to find the back of the net over the last 2 games, and the Centennials have just 7 goals in their last 3 games overall
if there was any game where the message would be to just "SHOOT", then this is it. The Grizzlies goaltenders have next to no confidence right now (at least 5 goals against in 5 straight games), and playing with a very limited lineup, the Cents can tired out the Grizzlies very quickly by hemming them in their own zone. This could lead to an easy night for Merritt and a long night for the Grizzlies
*LINEUP NOTES: Brandon Bruce's weekend is over. He has been suspended 2 games for his hit to the head penalty last night which led to a 5 minute Bulldogs powerplay and Bruce getting a game misconduct. That means Bruce is the only scratch for tonight. Tyler Martin will play up front (most likely on the 3rd line with Shinkaruk and Maktaak), while Dylan Chanter draws back into the lineup on defense. The goaltending rotation continues with Tyler Steel getting the start between the pipes
Note the face-off time tonight: Puck drop is at 7:15 from the Bear Mountain Arena in Victoria. That means the pre-game show starts at 6:45. You can tune in on Q101 FM in Merritt or online at Q101.ca
(the game winner with 3 seconds left, courtesy of Evan Hammond's Bulldogs blog... video underneath)
It's as if the hockey gods were playing a cruel joke on Merritt. It's the definition of "tease and denial". Against all odds, the Centennials stormed back in the 3rd period but were denied their 8th straight victory by a Bulldogs buzzer beater. The term "heartbreaker" is often overused, probably more by me than anyone else, but this is what heartbreak really is:
I said before, you never quite know what you're gonna get when 2 stranger teams meet for the first and only time. And tonight, what we got was pure entertainment
Merritt was a little slow out of the gate and didn't show much jump, which was natural considering the marathon trip that started at 5:30am in Merritt. They were fine defensively, but had almost no life offensively, not registering their 1st shot until about the 6 minute mark of the period
after both teams struggled on their respective 1st power play of the game, the Bulldogs were the first team in 8 tries to score first on Merritt, using their 2nd power play to get on the board on a Turner Popoff slap shot from the right circle. This seemed to knock the Cents off guard a bit, as it was not only the first time since Dec 29 (over 3 weeks) that they had surrendered the first goal, but also the first time they trailed in a hockey game since 2011
as the period wore on, the Centennials found their legs and the game really opened up. There was plenty of up and down action and odd man rushes both ways, creating an exciting atmosphere and an entertaining game to broadcast. But the 2 netminders stole the show; Lino Chimienti for Merritt, and Cameron Large (affiliate callup from the Comox Valley Glacier Kings of the VIJHL) for Alberni Valley
the 2nd period, as maybe expected, was Merritt's best, as they pushed hard for the equalizer and created some glorious chances but simply didn't have the finish... they weren't crisp on a lot of passes and made a lot of unforced errors that took away more scoring opportunities, sometimes on 2nd chances. But you could tell the effort was there
after Sabourin had his point-shot blocked, new Bulldog Hunter Stewart sprung himself for a breakaway, and Bulldogs captain Trent Dorais was able to bury the rebound, against the flow of play, to give Alberni Valley a 2-0 lead. Now you could tell the Cents were a little worried\
Lino Chimienti continued to stand tall and give Merritt a chance to climb back into it, but again they had trouble with their finish, including on a late power play, where the top line trio of Stack, Soquila and Brears did everything but score. It looked like a do or die power play to get life for the 3rd, but as it turned out, it wouldn't really factor into the game story at all
at the conclusion of Merritt's failed late 2nd period power play, Brandon Bruce got 5 minutes and a game misconduct for a hit to the head in the last minute of play. This meant that the Bulldogs would get 5 minutes of power play no matter what, 4:25 of which carried over into the 3rd period
the Centennials were full credit for a superb PK on the 5 minute major, but then Evan Stack took a high-sticking penalty that put his team down 2 men for a full 2 minutes. It looked to be the final straw for Merritt, but once again, we were fooled
Merritt played the 2-man down situation as perfectly as they could and Lino Chimienti was clutch... they were able to kill off the whole thing unscathed and get back to even strength with 15 minutes still left to play. A predicted turning point, and it sure was...
Regan Soquila forced the Bulldogs into a turnover from behind their own goal, allowing Evan Stack to cut in from the top of the left circle uncontested, and he made a great move to the backhand to get Merritt on the board. You could sense the penalty kill was a complete momentum and game changer
Merritt came fast and furious at the Bulldogs looking for the equalizer, but still relied heavily on Lino Chimienti to bail them out on a few occasions, which he did
finally, on their 3rd power play, the Cents would strike again, and once again it would be the captain... driving hard around the defense on the left wing, cutting in with a shot that appeared to be stopped, but somehow trickled across the line to tie the game at 2. The Merritt bench was in jubilation. The guy who took the penalty to give the Bulldogs a 5 on 3 wound up tying the game himself with 2 beautiful goals
as if Merritt's fortunes weren't good enough already, Bulldogs defender Walker Hyland would take a high-sticking penalty with just over 2 minutes left in regulation to allow Merritt to put an exclamation mark on the comeback. And they had a few chances, particularly a superb chance for Brayden Low who pick-pocketed a Bulldog at their own blueline and created a 2 on 1 which led to a breakaway... but Cameron Large came up "Large" turning aside the shot with his right pad and blocker, allowing the game to continue, and presumably, go to overtime. BUT...
just as everyone expected overtime, Hyland stepped out of the box, was fed a pass to center by Berkholtz with 10 seconds left, and the rest, as they say, is history... Hyland danced into the zone, dropped a pass off for Ryan Lough, who made a great move around the defense, and went backdoor to Hyland again... with 3 seconds left, Hyland, who almost cost his team the game with the late penalty, buried the opportunity past a sprawling Chimienti, and THAT was how Merritt suffered their first loss of 2012, and saw their win streak end at 7
Here's how it all ended for Merritt (video courtesy of Evan Hammond's Bulldogs blog):
*the game wasn't necessarily chippy/dirty, but there were lots of big hits, many questionable ones, and I believe the referee Carl Poole let a lot of things go both ways, that maybe he shouldn't have. The Bulldogs players were dropping like flies it seemed, but credit to them they kept bouncing back up and playing the next shift
*this was the 2nd game in a row where only the top line scored for Merritt... in the last 2 games, Brears and Stack have been the only ones to find the back of the net. The other lines are working hard, but it will become a problem if they can't find a way to turn hard work into goals
*both Captains led by example, as the Bulldogs Trent Dorais was the best skater for them all night long, picking up a goal and an assist... but he created many more chances and played a very solid 2-way game
*Cameron Large did exactly what coach Luke Pierce and I feared... in his first BCHL game of the season, he stood on his head and stole the show... he was extremely clutch and basically "stole" this game for the Bulldogs
*Lino Chimienti did all he could, but it wasn't enough. The Popoff goal in the 1st period snapped a streak of 155 minutes and 25 seconds of shutout hockey for Lino. The loss also snapped his own personal 5 game winning streak
*Merritt's run of perfect penalty killing ended at 19 straight kills tonight (they were a perfect 16 for 16 in the 4 games leading up to this), but their power play goal gives them 5 straight games with at least 1 PP goal
*Not only does the loss snap Merritt's 7 game win streak, it also snaps a 9 game points streak (their first regulation loss in 10 games), and it snaps what was a very impressive 5 game road winning streak
The sting of this game is tough to take, even for myself. I too got caught up in the ride, and it's hard not to feel bad for the guys the way they lost this game. It just doesn't seem fair. Not that they lost in general, but the way they lost. The post-game meal didn't taste quite as good as it should have, the bus ride back to the hotel felt depressing, and back in my room, where I'm usually pretty jovial, all I really wanted to do was stare at the ceiling. It was hard to motivate myself to get my thoughts down on paper (or on screen I should say). But here they are. It's a tough pill to swallow for everyone involved I'm sure, and I can only imagine that the players and coaches feel even worse.
But the Centennials have no time to dwell on it or feel sorry for themselves, as it's a quick turnaround before heading to the provincial capital to take on the spiraling Victoria Grizzlies tonight
***As I am at the hotel and have no access to clips from the game, I will be unable to post my usual audio highlights for this game or the next vs Victoria, but by some point on Monday, I will try to have the audio highlights up from all 3 weekend games
Courtesy of Paul McLellan at SHAW TV, here are the highlights from Merritt's 7th straight victory, a 2-1 triumph over the Westside Warriors on Wednesday:
WOW! That's all I can say. After a slew of significant rule changes last year, particularly the playoff format for this year, the BCHL is at it again. The annual Governor's meeting will see a slew of changes for next year as well. The biggest change that will affect me personally is that the number of games in a season has been cut by 4, which will be a bit of a financial burden on the BCHL broadcasters who already do their job mostly for the love of the game. And as someone who loves the game and the league, and someone who feels the season is too short as is, I'm a little choked to see it get cut once again.
Another major change to affect the Centennials is the movement of Chilliwack and Prince George (WHAT?! Yeah!) to the Coastal Conference, which will create two separate Coastal Divisions, once again: the Island and Mainland Division. This means that Merritt will be left in a very tough decision with the 4 (usually dominant) Okanagan teams and the Trail Smoke-Eaters, who are also bound for a much better season next year. Westside and Salmon Arm have made plenty of moves that should get them back to prominence next season, and you have to think that Vernon's stumble this year is a one-off, especially when you consider the amount of significant injuries they've had. So it will be that much tougher for Merritt next season. Though the playoff format is yet to be determined. Here are all the details on what the BCHL has come up with:
The British Columbia Hockey League passed a number of significant motions Thursday at the league’s semi-annual governors meeting in Richmond. The changes will take effect in the 2012-13 season.
To allow more fans to attend games, governors voted to lower the number of regular season games from 60 to 56. This will decrease the number of mid-week games when fans are less able to attend. Now, a greater percentage of home dates can be held on the prime nights of Friday and Saturday.
Also, a showcase event will be held Sept. 7 to 9 at a site yet to be determined. The showcase is similar to events held in the Alberta and Saskatchewan Junior Hockey leagues where college and professional scouts are invited. Showcase results will count in the regular season standings. Each BCHL team will play two games at the event meaning all teams, except the host of the showcase, will then have 27 home dates in the 2012-13 season. Any revenues from the showcase will be split up amongst the league’s 16 clubs. Teams are being asked to submit by Feb. 1 their bids to host the event.
Another motion that passed was the decision to move the start of the regular season to Sept. 14, 2012. This will mark the date that the standard BCHL regular-season format shall commence though by that point, two regular season games will have been played at the showcase event by each team.
The season will end March 10, 2013 which means the coming season is two weeks longer than normal. This also will allow more games to be scheduled on prime nights rather than mid week.
With respect to the alignment of the conferences, there will be now be 10 teams in the Coastal Conference and it will be split into two groups called the Island Division and Mainland Division. The Island Division will include Victoria, Cowichan Valley, Nanaimo, Alberni Valley and Powell River. The Mainland Division will include Coquitlam, Surrey, Langley, Chilliwack and Prince George.
Prince George will be given the option to return to the Interior Conference after the conclusion of the 2013 playoffs. With Prince George and Chilliwack set to join the Coastal Conference, the new Interior Conference will include the remaining teams: Merritt, Trail, Penticton, Vernon, Salmon Arm and Westside.
“These decisions were not made in haste and came only after lengthy debate by our governors,” said BCHL commissioner John Grisdale. “The BCHL considers itself an innovator and model for Junior A hockey in Canada and these decisions, not all of them unanimous, have been made with the intention of ensuring the long-term viability of our league.”
Each club has been asked to submit new playoff format ideas to the BCHL office by Feb. 1, 2012. After that, a decision will be made and announced.
Merritt: 25-10-2-5 (57 pts) - 2nd in Interior
LAST GAME: 2-1 win over Westside on Wednesday (won 7 in a row, outscoring the opposition 24-7. Merritt has also won 5 straight on the road)
Alberni Valley: 14-22-2-0 (30 pts) - Tied for 7th/8th on the Coastal Conference with Langley, but have played 3 less games than the Rivermen
LAST GAME: 7-0 loss to Powell River on Saturday
*First and only meeting of the season between the 2 teams
it was a close call for Merritt Wednesday vs Westside, as they were pushed to the brink and forced into a grueling, physical, likely exhausting war. It might be a good thing. It might serve as a "wake-up call" to stay on their toes without actually having to lose a game
with each passing win, excitement in the community is building and I think the players are thriving on this. The motivation is now to see far they can push this magical run
based on the 4 game home stand (the 3 game road trip prior had a few ups and downs), if Merritt keeps playing that way, this streak could go up to 10 games ahead of the highly anticipated home ice rematch with the Penticton Vees next Wednesday. The Cents are getting timely scoring that was very balanced up until the last game, they're winning special teams every night (scored on the PP in 4 straight, 6 for 22, and perfect on the PK in 4 straight, 16 for 16), they're playing team defense with clutch goaltending (given up just 3 goals in their last 5 games, and only 8 goals during the 7 game win streak). On top of that, Merritt has scored 1st in every game during this streak, which makes the streak a well-deserving one and not just a coincidence
the number one priority for Merritt for this game and during the Island road trip will be to stay the course and not get over-confident that just because the teams they're playing are struggling in the standings, things will fall into place easily. That's simply not the case. Even though they're playing the so-called "bottom feeders" of the Coast, these games can be tricky. Merritt does not know the teams, their systems or tendencies, and in just one game to figure it out, it's easy to get burned by something unexpected. Players on Alberni Valley and Victoria are still playing for scholarships this year and jobs next year, while Nanaimo on Sunday will be extremely hungry pushing for that final playoff spot
as for the Bulldogs, they were hoping that when new head coach Kevin Willison took over in early December for Paul Esdale, there would be a miraculous turnaround. The passionate fanbase was calling for Esdale's head, and when they got their wish, the Bulldogs won their first game under Willison 3-1 over the Costal Conference leading Cowichan Valley Capitals. But overall, they have gone 4-8-1-0 under the new bench boss, and are now all but mathematically out of playoff contention, 18 points back of 4th place Coquitlam. So they will play for pride and try to play the role of spoilers
scoring 1st would be astronomical for Merritt in this game, as this will be the longest trip they make all season before playing a game. A trip that will start between 5 and 5:30 in the morning. All in all, the Centennials might be in survival mode in the 1st period, and should probably be happy if they come out tied or with any sort of lead. The travel legs will be tough to overcome. The best thing the Cents can do is just fire rubber towards the net and hope for a good bounce or rebounds. This game, especially the 1st period, is probably not the time to get fancy, not after the marathon road trip that leads up to puck drop. Getting too pretty might be the only thing loses this game for Merritt if it leads to mental mistakes and odd-man rushes the other way
*Lino Chimienti will get the start between the pipes as the rotation is back in full swing. The Centennials also get forward Sean Maktaak back from a concussion. Maktaak missed 5 games in a row after taking a hit to the head from Salmon Arm defenseman Taylor Love (who got a 2 game suspension for the hit) on January 6th. That means somebody will have to come out of the lineup, and that scratch will be revealed by Coach Pierce when the team arrives to the hotel tomorrow afternoon. All in all, it's great news to have the scorching Centennials back to 100% healthy. Not many teams can make that claim. And that's likely a big reason for Merritt's success of late and throughout the season; avoiding any serious longterm injuries.
Opening face-off from the Weyerhaeuser Arena in Alberni Valley is at 7 o'clock. I'll have the pre-game show on the air starting at 6:30. You can tune in on Q101 FM in Merritt or online at Q101.ca
In this latest edition of "Meet the Cents", I sit down with captain Evan Stack, and we talk about his journey with fellow teammates Chad Brears and Billy Marshall, as well as the thrill of having the "C" sewn on his jersey.
Chad Brears provided all the offense, and Tyler Steel provided the stellar goaltending we've become accustomed to, as the Merritt Centennials fought tooth and nail for a 2-1 victory over the Westside Warriors, their 7th win in a row!
As I predicted before the game, this was probably the toughest game the Centennials have had to play in a while... perhaps, uncoincidentally, since their last loss, a 6-5 overtime defeat at the hands of the same Warriors back on Dec. 29
Both teams came to play in this one, as the Centennials maintained their work ethic, and the Warriors played like a team that still had faith a playoff spot was within reach
The Cents and Warriors traded plenty of chances in the opening 20 minutes, a period with plenty of flow to it despite no scoring. Both goaltenders (Tyler Steel and Dwayne Rodrigue) looked extremely sharp, and even though Rodrigue faced almost twice as many shots as Steel (15-8), I thought the period was quite evenly played. The difference was that every time Merritt was in the offensive zone, they would usually come out with shots, whereas the Warriors were sometimes thwarted by blocked shots or broken up plays (credit to Merritt there). The key for Merritt was Steel's shorthanded breakaway save on Max French (who had 12 goals in 15 games since coming back from injury, including 2 in the last game vs Merritt), allowing Merritt to open the scoring for the 7th straight game (not a coincidence that they won 7 in a row)
Merritt would open the scoring early in the 2nd period. After struggling on their first 2 power plays, the usual suspects would break through... Regan Soquila threw the puck towards the net from the right halfboards, and it took a fortuitous bounce onto the stick of the waiting Brears at the bottom of the left circle. Chad buried the puck high blocker on Rodrigue, who couldn't come across fast enough. But unlike in the other games this past weekend, the 1st goal did not lead to the other teams unraveling
The Warriors fought extremely hard in the 2nd period, and prevented the Centennials from taking control of the game, which they could of. Merritt had a 4-1 power play advantage in the 2nd period, but after Brears' goal, they struggled mightily to set up or generate many scoring chances. The Warriors were very aggressive on the puck, and the likes of Hascarl, Blanleil and French were outstanding killing penalty after penalty, and even generating chances shorthanded. All in all, the Warriors were full credit for escaping the 2nd giving up just the 1 goal, and having the shots evened up at 9. What could have been a formality of a 3rd period wound up being a war
The Centennials started the 3rd period on a power play as well, as Seb Lloyd took a charging penalty at the 20 minute mark of the 2nd. It was another great chance for Merritt to get some insurance, but again they struggled with the man advantage (again credit to the Warriors). This left the door open for Westside, but even though they got the next 2 power plays, Merritt's penalty kill was equally as good, and Tyler Steel was, not surprisingly, their best penalty killer (which helps when he took one of the penalties himself for tripping). But surprisingly, despite all the power plays both ways, it was a time when power plays overlapped and the teams went 4 on 4 that the Warriors finally found a way to solve Tyler Steel... a nice rush led by Hochhausen led to a centering pass from him at the right point, and defenseman Bet Betker, of all people, with just his 4th goal of the season, was able to tip it past Tyler Steel on top of the crease, to tie the game for the Warriors. Tyler clearly showed his anger and frustration in giving up the goal (even though I don't think there was anything more he could have done), but he channeled that frustrating the right way, and was able to shut the door the rest of the way
Finally, on their 9th power play, with the game almost given away due to a struggling power play, the Cents managed to break through once more. Regan Soquila took an innocent looking, but hard snap shot from the top of the right circle, it was blockered aside by Rodrigue, but the juicy rebound came to Chad Brears at the side of the goal, and under pressure, he was able to golf at the puck on the backhand, and chip it just over the blocker of Rodrigue and across the goal line from a terrible angle. Once again, Merritt "found" a way, and this goal with 8 minutes left wound up being the game winner
Ironically enough, after seemingly struggling on the power play for most of the night, the Cents still wound up a very respectable 2 for 9 on the man advantage (scored on the PP in 4 straight now), and improved on their 20% mark. At the same time, they went 5 for 5 on the PK (perfect through the 4 game home stand) and have now killed off 55 of 60 over the last 17 games, for an astounding 91.7% penalty kill percentage. They have not given up more than 1 power play goal on any given game during this stretch. Hard to believe considering how badly they got burned on the PK earlier this season, giving up multiple PP goals on many nights. It's been a complete 180 degree turnaround in many aspects of their game
The one main difference on this night from the other wins during this stretch is that it was entirely 1 line who got the job done. Both goals were Brears (who now overtakes Stack for the team lead in goals at 19) from Soquila and Stack. Even though the other lines battled hard (for instance, Payton Schaefer had an outstanding penalty kill shift in the 3rd, they were not overly noticable offensively, and most of the chances seemed to come either from the top line trio or the defensemen who had a few good looks. Now considering this was the first game in a while where all 4 lines didn't contribute evenly, I'm sure it won't be much of a concern, but at the same time I know coach Luke Pierce will want to once again see all his lines going and contributing come the Island road trip this weekend
Here are the highlights from a very exciting, intense, 2-1 Merritt victory:
